EBME Forums Forums Management Modernisation (Formerly, Controls Assurance) KPI for Biomedical Engineering Department

Thanks for all your ideas and for prompt replies, Geoff.
As of this writing, we do have 8 Omani biomeds and 5 expats, inclusive of yours truly. Of course the HoD of Biomedical is an Omani and a product of the UK in Biomedical Engineering.

As for the "bottom line" of the Quality Management exercise, if we can 100% assure the medical staff of the working condition and safety of ALL medical equipment in the hospital,complete with documentary evidence then we are confident on our department's side about the accreditation.
And as of this writing---YES WE CAN!

OK ... so there's your KPI, then.

No chance of me claiming asylum out there, I suppose?

I see the eminent Mr Sandham has an article in The Clinical Services Journal (AGAIN!!!)entitled Promoting Best Practice in Medical Devices Policy, perhaps he is able to spare us a few words of wisdom.
Robert

A few words of wisdom.

"Register for the EBME seminar on the 1st May in Milton Keynes".

All the previous contributors have given some good input.

The only thing I can add at this time is to consider the benefits of what you are measuring and why? Are you measuring KPI's to look at your department efficiency or do you want to go further? When monitoring the number of repairs - why are you measuring this? Is it to prove you are doing some work, or to show that the volume of repairs is proportional to the mis-use of devices? If you are improving the percentage of planned maintenance done - the volume of repair activity should be going down. Are you measuring the downward trend? If it is not going down does this imply poor husbandry of the equipment from users?

Measuring KPI's should deliver information that allows you to improve practice within your department, but also to share the information with other managers to assist them to improve practice in their areas, and make it easier for you and safe3r for patients.

My two penneth worth...

Could be a bit far for Bong to travel, though, John.

Yes I don't mind travelling to the UK, Geoff. Last time I was there was way back in '96....

a) Preventive Maintenance - 100% completion with the schedule month;
b) Corrective Maintenance - All repairs to be completed within 30 days;
c) Commissioning - completion with 14 working days;
d) Condemnation - completion within 14 working days;
e) Medical device related accident investigation - nos of accident investigated in a month;
f) Equipment on Loan and Trial - nos of loaner units in a month;
g) Medical Device Alert Notification - send notification with 3 working days;
h) Calibration of Biomedical Test Instrument - calibrated with 30 working days.

The KPI resides within each process and it has to match with your institution's demand. It varies from Institution to institution.

Cheers!

I would look again at item b) ...

... why 30 days? As a "catch-all"? Perhaps it would be better to say something like "all CM actioned within 5 days" (2 working days, whatever).

By "actioned" I mean:- "looked at; dealt with; fault(s) found; and parts ordered". As we know, sometimes it can take a "while" for parts to be sourced, ordered and actually arrive. I can remember cases in excess of one year (and some that never turned up)!

Just as long as you keep the user informed (something which has often been overlooked, in my experience).

Also c) ... I would have liked to see a shorter window for acceptance and commissioning. After all, if the medics have ordered the kit, it must be needed ("urgent", even), right?

Meanwhile, condemnation (d) can probably wait a while; and e) should tend to zero (we hope).

And what about "disposal"? Should that get an honourary mention these days?

Yes; these things can vary from institution to institution ... but I doubt that too many would strongly disagree with your list there, Roger.



How about adding:-

i) User calls for help - responded to within 1 hour

That is ... a log of user calls for help (phone calls, emails, whatever). With links to follow-up action if you want to go that far.

j) User requests for service - responded to within 1 (same) day

That is ... a log of RFS paper slips ("Post-It" notes, phone calls, emails, whatever) that generally turn into actual jobs (Work Orders etc.). Again, with follow-up if need be. The response can be an email, or an actual visit (or whatever); just as long as it is recorded (and the user making the request is not left in the dark, so to speak).

k) "Walk-through inspections" carried out - 100% carried out per "ad-hoc" calender schedule!

Record the actual number of user departments visited ... plus (if you like) the number of Work Orders and (or) man-hours expended as a result!