Patient Care Equipment Management

Chapter 18

Learning Objectives: Discuss the responsibilities of Central Service Technicians for

managing patient care equipment

Identify the purposes of commonly-used patient care equipment.

Identify handling requirements and concerns for common patient care equipment:

Cleaning equipment Managing inoperative equipment Preparing equipment for use Storing equipment Tracking equipment

Describe the differences and explain advantages and disadvantages of purchase, lease, rent, and loan options for patient care equipment

Review other basic patient care equipment concerns: maintenance and repair and outsourcing

Patient Care Equipment

Portable (mobile) equipment that is used to assist in the care and treatment of patients. For example, suction units, heat therapy units, IV infusion pumps, etc.

Must Be: Readily available when needed. Safe Functional Free from Soil Must be managed effectively

Dangers of Ineffective Equipment Management:

Improperly cleaned equipment poses an infection control threat

Improperly assembled equipment may delay treatment

Inaccurately tracked equipment can delay treatment and/or cost the facility money if it has to rent additional equipment to replace “lost” equipment

Biomedical Engineering Department

The hospital department responsible for performing safety inspections and function tests on medical equipment

Commonly abbreviated as “Biomed Department”

Equipment Responsibilities

Central Service Dispense Track Retrieve Clean/Decontaminate Reassemble Store

Biomedical Department: Perform Safety

Inspections Perform Function

Tests Make Repairs

Preventive Maintenance

Periodic inspections scheduled according to equipment manufacturers’ recommendations

Biomed maintains detailed records on routine checks, repairs, and other important information regarding each piece of equipment

Equipment is inspected and dated with Preventive Maintenance (PM) stickers

Central Service Technicians should not dispense equipment when the PM sticker indicates it is due for an inspection

Biomed Repairs

Central Service Technicians should also route equipment to the Biomed Department when it is visibly damaged or when it has been reported as defective

Basic Types of Patient Care Equipment

Pages 364-366 in the Text provide information about common types of patient care equipment handled by Central Service Technicians.

Handling Soiled (Used) Patient Care Equipment

All Patient Care Equipment that has been dispensed must be considered contaminated and cleaned, even if it does not have visible soil

Cleaning Patient Care Equipment

Follow Manufacturer’s Instructions

Pay close attention to Detail

During the cleaning process perform a visual inspection. Look for:

Cracked or Frayed Cords Broken Components Damaged or missing

electrical prongs Etc.

Managing InoperativePatient Care Equipment

Identify and Tag Damaged or Nonfunctioning Equipment and Route it to the Biomed Department

Do Not return to service until the unit has been checked

Preparing Patient Care Equipment for Use

Equipment should be stored “ready for use”

Add disposable accessories, check or replace batteries, etc.

Storing Patient Care Equipment

Clean, assembled equipment should be stored in a clean, secure, designated location

Some equipment has special storage requirements, such as connection to an electrical outlet to ensure that batteries are fully charged when the item is dispensed

Tracking Patient Care Equipment

Equipment can be tracked Manually or with a Computerized program

Tracking Systems are discussed in detail in Chapter 19 (pages 371-376)

Tracking Systems Should Provide Information, such as:

Current location of the equipment

Patient charging information (if applicable)

Information about usage and trends

Usage

Procuring New and Additional Equipment

Meeting Patient Needs

The Need for New and Additional Equipment

New Technologies

Increased Need (patient volume)

Equipment Purchase

Determine the need for specific equipment

Identify the type (model, style, and brand)

Budget for its purchase

Incorporate into the system

The facility owns the equipment

Equipment Lease

Determine the need for the equipment

Contract with the manufacturer or leasing company to lease (use) the equipment for a specified period of time

At the end of the lease period, the facility has the option to return the equipment and obtain newer technology or purchase it

Equipment Rental vs. Leasing

Equipment rental is usually done on a short term basis, leasing is for a

longer term

Equipment Rental

Facility identifies immediate need for equipment (usually because of high demand or special needs of a specific patient)

The facility contracts for a short term rental from an equipment rental company

Manufacturer’s Loan

Manufacturer agrees to provide equipment to a healthcare facility at no charge

That is usually dependent on a commitment from the facility to purchase equipment components such as tubing, pads, sleeves, etc.

Central Service’s Role in Managing Patient Care Equipment:

Provide Safe, Clean, and Complete equipment

Maintain the availability of equipment by coordinating workflow

Equipment Repair and Maintenance

Keeping equipment safe, functional, and ready for use

Preventive Maintenance (PM)

Service provided to equipment to maintain it in proper operating condition by providing planned inspection, and by detecting and correcting failures before they occur

Repair Procedures used to

return equipment to proper operating condition after it has become inoperative

Outsourcing The transfer of

control of a hospital equipment management system to an external entity

Maintenance Insurance

Allows a hospital to retain control of its own equipment

Hospital contracts with an external insurance group to insure the costs of maintaining equipment

Proper Equipment Management

Ensures the availability of safe and functional equipment

Supports quality patient care