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Modelling the Management of Medical Equipment in Healthcare
Dermot Hale, Enda F. Fallon
Centre for Occupational Health & Safety Engineering and Ergonomics,
College of Engineering and Informatics, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland
d.hale2@nuigalway.ie & enda.fallon@nuigalway.ie
Abstract
This paper introduces a systematic approach to the
management of medical equipment in healthcare.
Specifically, the paper demonstrates how modelling this
management system creates a solid foundation for the
development of an effective management standard.
1. Introduction
In healthcare, effectively maintained medical equipment
is an important asset central to patient care. Hospitals
hold a vast array of medical equipment ranging from
small inexpensive items such as infusion pumps, to
complex items such as linear accelerators which have a
high purchasing cost and involve substantial on-going
costs.
The Health Service Executive provides a high level
framework, for managing medical equipment in Irish
hospitals [1]. This framework, however, gives direction
on a macro level only. For example, the document states
that ‘all medical devices are properly maintained and
repaired’, it does not however expand on this
requirement. This leaves the implementation of
procedures at a micro level unregulated. In such an
environment best practice may not be followed,
potentially leading to inefficient practices in terms of
equipment utilisation, usability, servicing and
performance. These inefficiencies add extra cost to the
HSE and ultimately can adversely affect patient safety.
2. Methods
In order to develop a comprehensive and effective
system for managing medical equipment it is necessary
to understand, at a micro level, the typical lifecycle of
medical equipment. Modelling the medical equipment
lifecycle clearly presents the sequence of activities to be
considered. In creating this model best practice
procedures in other safety critical industries, i.e.
aviation, nuclear, medical device manufacturing and the
military, were benchmarked. The model also considers
guidance given by relevant international standards, such
as IEC 61508, ISO 60601 and ISO 14971.
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3. Results
Planning Procurement Commissioniong
Performance
Measurement
Maintenance Decommissioning
Environment Quality Assurance Patient Safety
Risk Management
Lean Six Sigma Principles
Figure 1. The Management of Medical
Equipment in Healthcare Model
As is shown in Figure 1, the phases of the medical
equipment lifecycle were found to be the following:
Planning, Procurement, Commissioning, Performance
Measurement, Maintenance and Decommissioning. The
model developed shows that Risk Management, Patient
Safety, Quality Assurance and Environmental aspects
are the key considerations underpinning the lifecycle.
The model also shows that Lean Sigma, as a best
practice business management strategy, underpins all
activities, ensuring that all practices add value to the
management system.
4. Conclusion
Understanding and accurately representing the medical
equipment management model creates a foundation
from which a systematic and effective management
standard can be developed, utilising the ethos and
toolkit of Lean Six Sigma.
5. References
[1] Health Service Executive, Medical Devices/Equipment
Management Policy (Incorporating the Medical Devices
Management Standard, Office of Quality and Risk, Dublin,
2010.