From the August 2017 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
The elements of a strong medical equipment management program include activities and associated frequencies that are in accordance with manufacturers’ recommendations or with strategies of an alternative equipment maintenance (AEM) program. This will help to maximize resources and improve productivity, and can be augmented through performance analytics and consultative services.
In an effort to effectively manage a good program, a scalable, flexible and customizable computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) can help provide capabilities such as:
• Data standardization.
• Real-time KPI dashboards and reporting.
• Planned maintenance checklists and scheduling.
• Work order management (open, close, tracking).
• Parts ordering, expenses monitoring (locally and enterprisewide).
• Productivity measurement.
• The Joint Commission and other regulatory compliance tracking.
• Service contracts and warranty management.
• Equipment uptime and equipment availability capital planning.
• Equipment benchmarking.
In today’s environment with limited resources and ongoing financial pressures, a medical equipment management program can feel like a constantly evolving blueprint. However, the foundational elements of an organization’s blueprint ultimately help improve the patient and staff experience, which can lead to confidence about care and treatment, and ultimately, improved communication and trust between the patient and care provider.
2) How do I select the right service provider for my clinical and operational needs?
As part of your overall medical equipment maintenance program, one of the most important management activities is to decide which services should be provided by employees of the health care organization and which maintenance activities may be conducted by service contractors or other external service providers.
When selecting the right service resources, health care facilities should institute a careful vetting process in order to set up a successful partnership. There are many service providers internally and externally who will claim they can ”service and fix” your medical equipment for less. However, very few of these resources can deliver cost savings plus comprehensive solutions across the entire health care continuum to support your overall operational and clinical needs. Criteria such as flexible and efficient customer service, ongoing investments in education and training of engineers and a breadth of service products should all be evaluated.
Rather than working with multiple equipment service suppliers, health systems may look to consolidate with multi-vendor service providers. Numerous providers can provide OEM-quality services across multiple pieces of equipment, regardless of manufacturer. High-end modalities like MRI and CT scanners from different manufacturers can often receive the same level of high-quality service from a single provider.
Multi-facility health care organizations can also implement a service strategy that balances skills across nearby facilities. A reputable multi-vendor provider can likely service multiple locations and facilities that are within close proximity to each other. By leveraging the service provider’s consolidated expertise and support, health systems benefit from greater predictability, control and cost savings.
For external resources, service agreements can include various levels of scheduled maintenance, corrective maintenance or a combination of the two. Flexibility in the terms of service agreements is key to evaluate, since your operational needs are constantly changing. After a service agreement is in place, it is essential to monitor the performance of the service provider. Your service provider should be proactively recommending solutions to make sure that the health care organization is receiving the services it needs. All maintenance activities it performs and associated costs should also be recorded (in a CMMS, if available) and reviewed on a regular basis.
