EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Biomed Databases Free Database Software

I got your task manager(THANKS). Now I would like to know how to input equipment list done in MS Excel to Task manager. I have at least 7,000 equipment to migrate to TM.

Pleased to hear that you were able to get the program up and running without any problems, Bong. If you're serious about wanting to use it, just zip your spreadsheets to me, and I'll import them into the XTM format. No worries.

I know you're at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Mate (lucky guy), but how come you've got that many assets? What are you doing, counting the flowmeters as well?

Louis is in the process of beta testing his creation, It is Mysql/PHP partnership and seems to work very well! Louis will launch a test site early in 2008 so all can test drive the said creation.
Now to the big question. Would all be happy using a remote client server hosted by the Lyniswern foundation? (Like the Mr Lake creation that the University of Liverpool used to manage). Or does Louis distribute the script and let your ISD/IT department install the script locally?. Or both?

Louis was thinking of a free distribution of the main system and charging a small fee for custom forms and reporting formats.

Much regards

LIII

Interesting stuff, Louis. Web-based is the way forward, for sure. But there may be problems, as Ed SWM has already pointed out.

Meanwhile, it seems to me that many techs labouring away out there in the world still make use of stand-alone systems. Networks, broad-band connections and all the rest are not yet universal, shall we say (let alone IT departments)!

As I've banged on about quite a few times before, I like the idea of a collaborative effort, sharing not only ideas, but data as well. So far this has not progressed much beyond the "pipe-dream" phase, I'll have to admit (due to a general lack of interest amongst the Brethren, it would seem). I would love to be proved wrong on that one. Perhaps the winter months will see a sudden rush of enthusiasm for "sharing the wealth" (ie,of knowledge).

On the question of hosting, I would have thought that "both" is the answer there. No doubt our Mr.Huw can advise (...why not do it in collaboration with the ebme site)?

On the question of charging fees ... well, all I can say there is "good luck"!

Looking forward to seeing your stuff, Mate.

Hi Geoff

The beauty of the system Louis is currently developing is that once the database is created its only a matter of where the database is installed. This system can run off my server across the www, or locally on a hospital server installed with php (free) and mysql(also free) or even on a standalone PC, I am currently demo-ing an integrated package that includes a php/mysql shell for local use. However all that said; the best solution, Louis feels, is a simple server on your LAN managed by your IT department! That way data is accessible through the Lan on any PC.

This is probably Louis umpteenth PHP/MYSQL project and the flexibility of this pairing is amazing, in fact most of the internet now employs the combo including Yahoo and Facebook.

Geoff Louis totally agrees with you on a collaboration / form standard.

Louis has looked at hundreds of EBME database structures written in MS Access (and other) and they are all so very different it's painful. Normalization of tables is often overlooked with 'tragic' future consequences.

Louis read through Mr Sandham's Requirement for an effective management system for Biomedical Equipment and found it comprehensive enough to start a basic design. Also Steve Lake (University of Liverpool) wrote what Louis considers to be the best EMS solution ever created (take a bow SL)!

Watch this space

Louis III

Like Louis, Geoffrey has also looked at a multitude of equipment database structures, but would have to disagree with Louis by saying that the striking thing about them is their similarity! And modern database (spreadsheet etc.) software permits swapping between formats with relative ease.

My own stance is that the whole biomed CMMS scenario falls into two camps:- highly-priced "commercial" packages, and lowly (lowly as in "humble", but also as in "zero cost") efforts of the type I usually refer to as "home grown" (which group does Steve Lake's EMS solution fall into? I don't know)!

Contributors to this forum have been known to express strong views in support of both models, which is fair enough.

Your point about a centralized shared database is well-taken. But (in my role of Devil's Advocate), who's to say that your database (or mine, ECRI's ... or anybody else's) is any better than anyone else's? In my many years in this game, I have often seen techs quite happy with what they had available to them locally, especially if it was what they themselves had developed (ie, to suit their needs). There's nothing wrong with "pride of ownership", in my opinion (in fact I would like to see far more of it - especially amongst those who we like to call "user staff" - nurses and the like).

"One size fits all" tends not to be the answer, in my experience. What is needed is a logical basic structure, an interface that is readily and totally configurable to suit local needs (dare I say idiosyncrasies?), and extremely flexible reporting routines (this is probably where SQL scores).

Where we on this forum can make a real difference is in collaboration. That's where I plant my flag!

Kaz had the right idea, I reckon:-

no not the flowmeters but ALL office equipment,audio and video equipment and photocopiers! the first BME admin made a mistake of "taking it all" and now we are stuck with this non biomed equipment!nobody in his right mind would accept them if we try to pass it to others now.
I'll try to email you data minus the non medical equipment later.
thanks!

I believe I met your "first BME admin" back in 1987, Bong. The guy seemed pretty clued up to me!

To my mind, there's nothing wrong with "taking it all". Especially when operating in a commercial environment (which you're not, I presume). If the customer (user) is daft enough to pay to have biomeds take care of their office equipment, that's all well and good!

Many years ago when I was travelling around a well-known Desert Kingdom touting for business at small private hospitals and clinics, the people there always wanted a quote to come and service all their equipment. Yes, including the emergency battery-backed lighting units, refrigerators, fans and all the rest (including, even, the medical, dental and laboratory equipment). Not "money for old rope", though, as those old guys drove a hard bargain, let me tell you. Lot's of sweet tea had to be drunk too, of course. I worked out some good spreadsheet formulae (on good old DOS Lotus 1-2-3, of course) at that time, and used to amaze potential customers by being able to return the following day complete with an inventory (on floppy disk) - usually the first proper inventory list they had ever seen - together with a fully-costed series of maintenance options. In the (few) cases that I got the "go-ahead", they always went for the "fixed price" option, by the way. Those clinics were, after all, businesses. I wish I was still there doing that stuff!

Meanwhile, you can include all those other items in your data if you want (TaskMaster takes care of it all). Equipment still needs PM (in my opinion), regardless of whether it's an ECG monitor, CT scanner, or an electric kettle! As long as you're charging by the hour that is! Ha, ha.

By the way, my method is to group all flowmeters of each type (air, oxygen) as a single "asset" for each Ward etc. It keeps the numbers down that way!

Hi Geoff,
Medical equipment management is just beginning to be realized here in our country. Your database program is what I have been wanting, can you give me a copy too?

Thanks

Dearest Compatriots

The Lyniswern foundation EMS offering is almost ready! Louis will run a beta in early January for all to try. It is fully web based (php) and works in most popular browsers!
Louis will post the link here! Louis will also approach the www.ebme.co.uk cybermaster for the future prospect of "Unification" Louis like 'unification' very much! Geoff too, Louis believes! Many brains etc etc.


Regards

LIII