EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management Configuration at Acceptance Stage

We have experienced a few problems lately where equipment has been acceptance tested by our EBME dept but not configured.

The end user receives the equipment with big smiles and proceeds to use the equipment unaware that the configurations have not been checked since the equipment arrived at the hospital.

Of course our EBME dept will argue that it is the wards responsibility to request configuration but I would say that this ought to be part of the standard acceptance procedure!

David, does it not depend upon the nature of the kit.

Scenario one:- David, we have just acquired 500 Baxter Colleague’s (they each have their own individual personality you know!!!) We have over 30 user departments each with their own configuration requirements; we decided to leave the configuration to the end user (with our assistance of course).

Scenario Two:- Just set up 20 rather splendid Ventilators P&B, Nell 840’s. The consultant anesthetist gave us his written criteria for his recommended pre-sets. We gladly obliged. The same is true for the set up of 6 Hospal CVVHDF machines.

Horses for courses, my friend, horses for courses

Kind Regards

Louis III (happy department member)

Dear Louis

Sounds great.
Now what if the receiving department could use our 'assistance' at the point of acceptance rather than have to ask, post acceptance testing.

We recently had a delivery of new epidural pumps and the receiving dept did not even have the technical knowledge to realise that there was such a thing as a 'background configuration'.

Staff find it hard enough to operate the stuff let alone configure it.

David,
I would agree with Louis that it depends on the type of kit.

I think that assisting the user in configuring the equipment is the best way. (Without giving away the passwords)

John

I also agree with Louis that assisting with configuration is the best way, well how else could we know their particular requirements.

What I am saying is that this assistance should be given as part of the acceptance procedure, of course this depends on the kit, a nebuliser for instance does not require a great deal of EBME input in terms of configuration.

We have most equipment delivered to the user (delivery is specified on the PPQ approval form)

This means the acceptance test is normally carried out in the place where the equipment is to be used (which makes it easier to consult the user on configuration).

Am I missing the point here or something.

EBME should know how to configure the equipment, not just for acceptance testing but over the life of the equipment as situations and requirements change.

Surely if you have purchased something new then the negotiation prior to sale with the "slimey" rep should include things such as user training and configuration of the equipment to meet the users needs.

As already busy EBME Departments surely this task should be performed either prior to delivery or at the point of hand-over.

For an Aestiva anaesthetic machine you would have the local service engineer come in to commission the equipment prior to use, common sense.

Yes I agree with David for items such as nebulisers etc then configuration is not required and acceptance testing by the EBME Department is straight forward.

If things require configuration, especially if you order a load in one go, then why shouldn't the supplier of the equipment be responsible for the configuration.

Excuses such as we don't provide field service personnel is their problem, not the EBME Department's.

Make these companies work for their money. I agree with being flexible and helpfull but, come on guys, this is taking the proverbial.

100% correct !

If equipment has the facility to be configured for the way it operates, then it's the suppliers responsibility to ensure that the clinicians understand what the options are and to provide guidance on the most appropriate set-up for particular circumstances. These should then be written down and signed off by an appropriate senior clinician. Everybody then knows how the equipment is supposed to be set up and no one can point the finger at EBME when someone does something stupid and the default or maximum limit option has been set to "off" !

No worries !

I agree Roy but what about items destined for the equipment library ? Louis made reference to a large number of similar kit i.e. infusion pumps (I.P's). 300 I.P's assigned to dedicated depatments, 200 I.P's to be held in the library. All individually configurable. Advice welcome please....

Louis III (Point catcher :p )

Most of the Infusion pumps in the Library are the Colleague type, we have got the Nursing Directorate to decide how they want their pumps configured and the Director of Nursing and Quality has signed it off as accepted on the configuration form, which becomes our standard.

The same goes for the Alaris P6000's, of course these can be changed, but at least when they leave the Library they are all set as a standard configuration.

Paul.