EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management The Biggest Threat to Patient Safety

Are you sure you're on the right thread, George?

And ... "disorganised bunch"? How about "talented and diverse"? Mongrels are always stronger than thoroughbreds! What do you want, George:- a load of identical drones ... and Trades Union militancy?

I don't know about you, but the best biomeds I have come across have always been independent spirits (they - we - had to be that way - resourceful, and all the rest - back in those days). Free thinkers. OK ... awkward (from the point of view of the suits that is)! LOL.

For what it's worth, I hope I can claim that I've "done my bit" to get biomed on an even keel. Not only via my evangelizing on this forum, but in a much more practical sense during my many years of not winning popularity contests in hospitals (and yes, meetings as well)! Ha, ha.

All I can offer now is mentoring (younger) techs - whether they appreciate the value of that, or not - and a few "words to the wise" ... such as:-

"If we each do a little, we can all do a lot"!

“talented and diverse” would a description of the skills set required , by “disorganised” I was referring to , for example the CMS in the thread you started and the Crossroads doc I refereed to .Biomeds deal with risk that , at minimum is equal to those of our colleagues in Allied Health and Nurses yet we still haven’t managed to organised ourselves onto a professional body and to be fair to the regulators it’s very difficult to get input and compliance as a result of consultation without a professional body which can exercises some sort of control or minimum standard over its members - but that would be for a another thread .

At 10304 posts nobody could question your effort and at 49 I have a lot of catch up to do

Geoff I just happen to see this today as well :

http://1technation.com/bad-news-biomeds/

Yes George ... more of the same! But, as I said earlier:-


The argument about which reporting chain biomeds should pass stuff up through to has been threshed out over and over. And not only on this forum. It is an interesting topic. Myself I have never had a problem with reporting to Nursing. Especially when Engineering has been headed up by a Boiler Mechanic or Facilities by a Chef!

But "HTM"? Forget it guys.

Regarding your earlier post ... the old chestnut about biomeds being easier to Regulate if a single Professional Body speaks for them has also been banged on about (on here) over and over. I would recommend the Search utility for those who may still be interested.

One last thought about Patient Safety though, George:- presumably, we are talking about the so-called "Western world". Meanwhile, when it comes to the Biggest Threat to Patient Safety in other parts of the world (that is, the so-called "developing" - or Majority - world) I would suggest that other candidates to those mentioned in this thread so far arise. Here are a couple for starters:-

1) Corruption
2) Ignorance
3) Abject poverty

... plus (in many places) what we might lump together under a general heading of "lack of resources" (funding, medical staff, engineers ... and, I dare say, leadership).

The biggest threat to patient safety has to be the human factor, attention to detail. If something doesnt feel right it usually is your sixth sense kicking in.

The biggest problem is probably infusion pumps getting programmed wrong as has been in a lot of reports. Simple mathematics and nowadays most pumps ask you to confirm the dose that you are giving. Similar to what they do with drugs (second set of eyes is always a good thing).

Check and check again and if you still are not happy call for a second opinion. Better off being over cautious than cutting corners as the judge will just throw the book at you.

"Simple mathematics" ... and nurses (and, seemingly, techs) with University Degrees:- so what's the problem?

What on earth is the problem with tech's having University degrees. Don't get that one.

The biggest threats to patient safety that I see are :-

People who are so rushed they can not ensure that the tasks they carry out are done correctly

Inadequate common sense

Inadequate training

Lack of interest/attention

And equipment that is designed so that its’ operation is counter intuitive


Lee

Can't disagree there, Lee ... especially with the first one mentioned (as I've doubtless commented on before:- everyone seems to be in such a tearing rush these days).

And I assume that you've ranked them in order, as well.

I doubt that equipment is deliberately designed to be counter-intuitive (and I'm sure that's not what you meant), but although kit has become more complex internally (software driven, and all the rest), I would have thought that most of it is pretty well designed (from the users' point of view) these days ...

... unless of course you have some glaring examples for us!

I've come across lots of things over the years that the nurses in particular struggle with.

Some of the obvious ones are syringes that are set in millimetres moved rather than millilitres, membrane panels where the buttons are in different places to the indicators and contrast controls mounted on the back of carrying handles.

But the biggest bug bear is equipment that is made to fulfil so many unnecessary functions that it becomes overly complicated to perform even basic functions.


Lee