EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management WIMS

I will be attending a meeting soon to discuss the feasibility of our EBME department using WIMS as an equipment management system. We presently use Microsoft Access, which has been tailor-made for our department by one of our own technicians. And I have to say that it is really excellent. Everyone loves using it, and it does everything we want, including the storing of the service history of each item of equipment.

However, our Estates manager insists that we are going against Government guidelines because we are not using the Trust's official asset register. I have tried to argue that we are only using a database of "medical electronic equipment' and not a duplicate database of Trust assets, but I cannot seem to win this argument, and we are being forced to use WIMS, much to my disgruntlement!

Has anyone got any idea to what extent WIMS is being used for EBME management?
Has anyone got any views on WIMS in general?

While I have no personal expierience of WIMS, my manager has, and its use for EMBE departments is about as usefull as a square wheeled bike!!.
It is great for Estates departments as one is able to register anything from a chair to a boiler, and you can check the area of particular items, but for medical equipment its no good.
We use an old, updated SMART system, we have looked at universal systems for use by many departments, but it seems that what is good for one depatment is not suitable for another. Unfortunatly there does not seem to be anything that is all things for all.
We have trialed HECS, and I believe the jury is still out on that.
Basically, for what its worth my own humble opinion, if it aint broke dont fix it!!!.
The only other piece of advice is dont give up your existing system until the replacement is running to your satisfaction, run them in tandem so that if the new collapses you are able to continue with the old.
Hope that helps, if you want more info about WIMS call Paul Hill here at Wexham EBME dept.

In a previous life in a service hospital overseas I had to trial WIMS for medical equipment management and to put it bluntly 'as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike'. It did not do what the department wanted, cumbersome to use and not user friendly. Therefore after several weeks of trying to use it the computer became a good door stop!

Thanks for your replies, they are most welcome.

Here's an old thread that some may find interesting! Can't help wondering how it all ended. Anyone know which system they finally went for at the Freeman? Or perhaps they continued with (and developed) their own "home grown" database?

Hi Dave,
We are not too far away from you and have dealt with similar issues recently.
I very much doubt that you will find a comprehensive system for your trust (Estates/Ebme) that is all things to all men. We didn't !

We found some excellent packages for my area (EBME) and adopted a favourite, but the various elements did not suit Work function (including asset management).

To cut a long story short, we reluctantly gave in to the pressure and agreed to use the system chosen for our Estates function.

In reality this gave us about 65 to 70% functionality.
Asset database is common of course within the system and it is the system that is used for capital charges calculations etc.

One other option we looked at briefly was development of an interface that linked any two such systems in relation to the formal asset database, and at one point it was going to be a condition of the 'Estates software contract' to encompass this aspect. Eventually though and a change of heart from my Director the battle was over (based on cost limitation) and we had to compromise.
I think we missed a trick with this final outcome and as such the developments that were originally planned around efficiency/paperless systems etc. really have gone on hold until such time as we have a basic working product to begin with.
If it's any help give me a call or pop down?

Steve

Hey Steve ... please note that Dave Crawford's original post was made on 04-Nov-2002.

But, apart from that:- yes, Biomed and Estates have different needs when it comes to database systems (as we all know), and any sort of compromise approach is pretty much doomed to failure, followed by recrimination all round. And again yes, paperless is very much the way to go!

OOPS.....the deed is probably well and truly done by now then!

Hi Steve, No such luck I,m afraid, were still using WIMS/FMIS.
Thats all 3 of us ie Freeman, RVI,and General.

So much for "progress" then, Mate.