EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management Equipment out of use

"The whole is more than the sum of its parts". Fair enough. But surely you've missed out:-

Selection (and evaluation)
Acceptance (and commissioning)

Here, from a "paper" (BS) I wrote way back in 1983:-

These ten headings may be regarded as the principles of biomedical technical support:-

o Organisation and Scope
o Selection and Procurement of Equipment
o Acceptance and Commissioning
o Technical Information
o User and Technician Training
o Maintenance and Quality Assurance
o Operational Techniques
o Spare Parts and Logistic Support
o Precautions, Hazards, Defects and Modifications
o Equipment Condemnation

... holistic enough, would you say? Like the "bullets"?

But (just to restate the case), as in all team endeavours, leadership really is the key.

My thot - every kit whether it is in the ICU or general wards it is still operationally needed and therefore setting a turnaorund time is still necessary else we would be like what was said above.

Where works are divided by having to take care of PM and the repair, repair will be given more priority as PM kits are still operational. We have also tried managing these tasks by separating those responsible for repair and those responsible for PM (if you have the resources).

Cheers!

Those of us old enough to remember when PM first became de rigueur were sold the idea that more PM will lead to fewer breakdowns, and therefore less repairs.

Setting aside the fact that the technology in the equipment has evolved (more sophisticated, not so easy to fault find and repair, but less inclined to "go wrong") ... would you say that this promise has been met?

Answers please by close of play!

And (just to play Devil's Advocate, as usual), I would argue that, in quite a few cases, carrying out scheduled PM is far more important (a higher priority) than fixing junk that has been dumped, unloved and unwanted, on the shelf in the workshop!

... so, surely the smart response to John's question must be:-

What is the nature of these 200 items? 11 oxygen regulators, 14 broken nebulizer compressors, 3 IV pumps, 22 knackered TNS units, 8 ophthalmoscopes and a CPAP unit ... etc. (I can't add up to 200). Unloved, unwanted junk ... or "good kit" urgently needed?

And ... are the users shouting? And ... how many have actually been looked at, but are now awaiting spares?

All in-house biomed sheds have limited, finite, resources. So the smart manager applies his (her) resources where they have the most beneficial effect. Just maybe half of those 200 items need to be condemned first thing tomorrow morning, for everyone's sake, without further ado!

Meanwhile, better crack on with the PM!

Technically the notion of more PM will lead to less downtime and I wholeheartedly support this notion. But how many really put in the kind of effort like you and me would do - passionately trying to ensure the best of everything.

... I would like to think that the answer to that is "most"!

(although I also admit that I have met a few exceptions to the rule)

But one of the reasons I advocate properly conducted PM is that it keeps the kit in decent (or at least "known") condition ... we don't want to wait until it "fails", do we?

Most would agree a high percentage of repairs are relatively easy.

The best way I have found to keep on top of repair turnaround times is to 'SCREEN' all jobs on day 1. This way all easy and quick jobs are processed within 24 hrs. The other major advantage of screening all jobs is that you then have a known status of all open jobs and can re-prioritise work in light of this new information.

You will have a good idea if the job will incur any possible delays or significant cost and can then be relayed to the equipment owner much sooner. What is worse than a sister contacting you after a week only to be told it has not been looked at. You tell them you will look at it next and then discover the job needs to be sent for external repair. Quite rightly when you inform the said sister, she hits the roof.

When all is said and done we are supposed to MANAGE the service and repair not just do it...

... especially if you happen to be the manager!

Agree this is about time management, manage by priority, managing the quantity and and managing how long they get to put on the "for repair" shelf and being send out. This is about discipline, commitment, ownership, etc.

Hello All,
An interesting debate. I started the debate because i want to use some of your comments in my presentation at the Blackpool forum.

Paul said:


Geoff picked up (reading between the lines) that i feel this is a management issue. The types of devices are not sphygs, or handheld stuff. It was syringe pumps, infusion pumps, suction units, ventilators, monitors, etc.

The problem as i see it:

If the Hospital is not shouting from the rooftops "wheres our kit?" They don't need it. That means that there is far more equipment in the Hospital than actually needed, which might mean that the Hospital is spending too much on kit, and the increased volume of equipment increases the maintenance burden on the EBME dept.

Also, the senior management do not see the dept as being in trouble because there are no complaints from the wards. The wards appreciate the EBME dept and think the techs are doing a good job. On walking the wards, more than 50% of the kit is not in use.

This is a picture i am painting from more than one Hospital. As EBME managers, we have a responsibility to the hospital and to the dept not to have too much kit. It increases the maintenance burden.