Hospital Equipment Libraries Giving Consideration to Current Medical Equipment Management - Essay Example

Grade Hospital Equipment Libraries in consideration to current Medical Equipment Management guidance and policy As the quest for better health services increases, different medical equipment are acquired to ensure good delivery of care in primary care and hospital setting. Medical equipment library (MEL) plays a pivotal role in the provision of quality healthcare. MEL is a location where resources pertaining to medical care are provided. Therefore, staffs visit these locations to source medical equipment for short periods. MEL stores different kinds of information about patient’s health status, medical equipment, reading resources among other vital information that aids service provision in the health facility (MHRA 2013). These equipment assist and impact on the ability of the health organizations in effectively treating, monitoring and supporting patients care and in the general management of their respective medical conditions. It further allows proper management of healthcare in facilities and community settings by facilitating self-care for patients in difference circumstances. The hospital library operations functions are in tandem to the current medical equipment management guidance and policy. Medical equipment libraries are managed by clinical engineering team who ensure that all equipment are available for loaning any time of the day. They therefore, ensure provision of quality healthcare services by providing this equipment to the patients and staffs that need them in their service provision (MHRA 2013). To ensure that equipment are safeguarded in the libraries, medical management guidance and policies are important. The world health organization is one of the bodies that recognize the important of health organization having in place appropriate policies that can better address issues pertaining to equipment in the hospital libraries. These policies and guidance help to foster good governance in health organization which later impacts positively on the delivery of health services. Technology is advancing at a fast pace and many medical facilities are embracing these technologies. The technology has enabled positive performance of services but led to increase in prices (Device Bulletin DB2006 (05), 2006). Accessing medical care among many people earning low salary is out of their rich. The medical equipment management policy need to factor such issues in their plans to ensure that they provide good health care service to all people that requires good health. Policy guides management on various stages of equipment life cycle, including acquisition, utilization, maintenance as well as disposal. Therefore, medical equipment in the libraries can only be managed when there is good management policy and guidelines. Policy statement Medical equipment need to be managed effectively to ensure uniformity in policy, procedures and standards that are implemented for the purpose of improving service delivery in the organization. Equipment management is furthermore, essential in ensuring patient safety through, risk management, social and clinical governance and quality assuring of the medical equipment in achieving proper money utilization as well as resource utilization (MHRA 2013). This policy also seeks to ensure that employees are properly trained and to reduce related hazards in health organization. The policy fosters use of standards based approach that provides more efficient and high quality management of hospital equipment. Medical equipment libraries The medical library association is the body that sets standards relating to hospital equipment libraries. This body was developed in 2002 with the aim of guiding librarian, hospital administrators and other accrediting bodies to ensure that health organizations were well equipped with enough resources and other services that would allow them to meet their needs for knowledge based information. The standards are amendable to reflect changes in health care environment (Device Bulletin DB2006 (05), 2006). To ensure that these standards are well utilized to advance the interest of patients, adoption of technologies in the libraries has been embraced for its potential to play the role of providing knowledge-based information to the organization. Apart from this knowledge-based information, the libraries have other instruments and materials that are useful in the provision of services to their clients. Some equipment found in the libraries includes ECG monitors, volumetric pumps, syringe drivers and pumps, tympanic and thermometers and suction units, patients records among others. These equipment are important in diagnosis, monitoring, prevention, and alleviating diseases (Device Bulletin DB2006 (05), 2006). Various standards have been established to ensure that these libraries achieve their objectives in provision of good healthcare. In the healthcare organization, libraries are used as primary department with the responsibility of developing services and systems to meet the knowledge based information needs of an entity (National Audit Office Report 1999). Therefore, most of the libraries have got their own budget, directors who act as departmental head. The directors report to the senior management of the organization on various issues pertaining to the functioning of the libraries. This department helps to coordinate with the senior levels of organization in creating deeper understanding of what is required in the organization such as provision of resources and data that is necessary to meet the needs of the customers. The libraries need to be managed by qualified librarians to enable proper functioning of the knowledge-based information systems and services. A librarian is an individual possessing high qualifications and having in depth knowledge in electronic and print information in health sciences and other related fields. The roles of the medical librarian are diverse. Some of them includes, coordination of the library functions in accordance with the mission and vision of the institutions, strategic planning , budgeting for library operations, ensuring that their is effective leadership in knowledge based information, developing of appropriate policies relating to knowledge based information, hiring and recommending appropriate professionals (National Audit Office Report 1999). Other roles include negotiation of license agreements, providing training and education opportunities for the staffs among others. Librarian is also part of the information management team and therefore, he gets involved in the planning of internal computer networks as well as external linkages helping to enhance coordination in the organization. This allows easy sharing of knowledge based information resources among different departments in the organization. Furthermore, they provides an effective conceptions between knowledge based information and patient education, care, safety and performance improvements functions, it also plays function of educating hospital and staffs among other important functions aimed at promoting good patient care (Device Bulletin DB2006 (05), 2006). In addition, they play a role of promoting knowledge based information services and resources to all its users. The users of the libraries includes research staff, managerial and administrative staffs, students in affiliated programs, staff in the off-site locations, families and their patients, and other groups. They also help to promote the existing and current proactive provisions of various services that they provide. Therefore, these libraries play a great deal in ensuring that a medical service runs on smoothly in a healthcare organization. Equipment management guiding principles Medical equipment in libraries requires good management to impact positively on the community and the organization at large. To achieve this, various guiding principles need to be adhered. Guiding principles explain or address the processes that can help in management of the medical equipment. It is the duty of every one in a health care organization to ensure that these guidelines are followed (Device Bulletin DB2006 (05), 2006). The guidelines address issues relating to the full life cycle of medical equipment from the time of acquisition to the time they are disposed. Acquisition Before acquiring any of the medical equipment, it is important for the managers in charge to plan, procure, inspect, install, commission and dispose. Planning entails drawing up of the budget after assessing equipment required. Planning should also factor in the needs and the objective and mission of the organization (NHS Trust 2012). Other consideration in planning is to evaluate the available qualified users or arrange for training users of the equipment in circumstances that the capacity is lacking. Furthermore, the safety and space requirements need to be assessed to determine or allow installation of new equipment. Resources for the recurrent operating budget need to be approved and reassured, maintenance and support services should be confirmed and issues of disposal need to be factored in to safeguard environment. Procurement Procurement is yet another important step in acquiring medical equipment. A good manager should have skills and knowledge on the best procurement practices to ensure that appropriate equipment are secured. Furthermore, other aspects that need to be considered include the manufacturers’ of the equipment, contract agreement such as supplier to provide service manuals, service training, availability of guarantees and spare parts among others (NHS Trust 2012). Even though international procurement standards postulate that any procurement be done through international competitive tendering that allows generic description of equipment, in medical equipment procurement, standardization should be emphasized. In standardization, the first level is use of clear generic specification, which safeguards the standardization on a given threshold of technology. However, when procuring sophisticated equipment such as CT scanners, ultrasound scanners, and x-rays among others specification by names and brands can be used to guarantee cost effective, standardization and development of capacities in operation and maintenance. Inspection Inspection is important in ensuring that all the equipment procured meets the standards as stated in the order. All equipment including those that are donated need careful inspection for compliance with specifications in purchase contract, shipment damage, compliance with the international environmental and safety regulation, delivery of required accessories, operating spare parts and service manuals. It is also imperative to evaluate the performance of the equipment after they have been commissioned and before accepting them. This will ensure sustainable and effective use of the equipment. Evaluation and verification of the equipment requires an individual with technical and clinical knowledge on medical equipment to guarantee credible report. It is also important for the specifications of the equipment to be verified before their installation and to verify the performance of the equipment after their installment (NHS Trust 2012). Installation and commissioning It is required that all medical equipment be installed in accordance with the manufacturers’ specifications as well as safety specifications, electrical/building and occupational health specifications. The new equipment must be tested, verified, and commissioned by the supplier before they are placed into modifications or repairs. It is also important for periodic testing and safety checks be carried out for the equipment as directed and specified by the manufacturers. The newly commissioned equipment need to be handed over to the administration with a duly signed commissioning certificates with details of the name, model/brand, serials, numbers, details of the functional test and operations tests carried out on the equipment. The commissioning certificate is part of the final contract completion report. When equipment is received in the hospital, it is required to be tagged with an inventory code. The warrant of the equipment commences the moment the equipment is accepted by the organization. Arrangement is then done to carryout a testing with the suppliers and in case employees or staffs need training, they are trained at this juncture (Device Bulletin DB2006 (05), 2006). Specific installation and commissioning procedures are followed when dealing with specialized medical equipment such as x-ray installation, electrical equipment, medical gases and sterilization equipment. X-rays installation such as x-ray systems need to adhere to the international regulations. For instance, radiation protection tests need to be carried out on any newly acquired x-ray installations before their authorization to be used for human use. Electrical equipment such as defibrillators and ECGs should come with grounding system to protect them from shocks. Donated equipment Most of the medical equipment are donated by well-wishers and agencies that champion good health. These equipment need to undergo scrutiny to ensure that they meet the standards set. The products should be shipped from known source and should come with shipment receipts. Operation of medical equipment The medical equipment libraries need to be well maintained by the managers as well as staffs. Any problem concerning malfunctioning need to be reported to the relevant personnel in good time for immediate correction. To ensure that this is achieved, sufficient funds should be provided in the operation and maintenance units for implementation of the policy. Equipment user training It is imperative to train staffs on safe and effective use of medical equipment during installation and servicing. It does not matter whether the staffs are acquainted with the operation of the machine or not, what is important is to ensure continuous training to ensure effective operation. Application training Application training is much elaborate and is normally done in situations where equipment are special such as x-ray machines and ultra sound machines. Application training should be incorporated in the contract to enable the new users to learn and understand how to operate such machines. This training is important since it help to alleviate the cost of buying new machines the moment they become non-functional. Training of trainer It is imperative that the organization trains trainers to train others. This will ensure efficiency and proper use of the medical equipment. For instance, these trainers may train on operation, care, and how to handle medical equipment, basic maintenance, basic equipment inventory management, training on performance monitoring and evaluation of the equipment and how to write and hard over reports and general equipment management. They can also be assigned with the responsibility of supporting the supervision of equipment management and monitoring. Medical equipment safety Medical equipment need to be tested and cleared for their safety before being mandated to be used by the clients. It is the responsibility of the supplier of this equipment to ensure that this equipment meet the standards set. They should also carry out extensive training to ensure that these applications are correctly used. Various safety standards need to be put into consideration. These include; Electricity safety All electronic equipment should undergo electricity testing to ensure that they operate well and they comply with the safety standards and the international occupational health standards. For instance, grounding performance tests need to be conducted for electricity devices to ensure that they are well insulated to avoid unnecessary shocks and leakages (The Electricity at Work Regulations, 2010) Radiation safety Health workers and patients should be protected from radiation effects. All new x -ray machines need to be tested and commissioned in accordance with the procedures of the manufacturers and should meet the international safety standards. For instance, all staffs should wear lead aprons at all times when dealing with x-ray. A dosimeter should be worn in the neck and under the apron to measure any exposure to radioactive rays. Environmental and occupational safety All consumables that are used in the medical care need to be disposed or contaminated in accordance with the environmental standards and occupational health and safety guidelines. Cell phones need not to be used in other places such as emergency rooms or surgery rooms. Workers safety and infection control It is required that health workers in a medical care facility are protected from health hazards. Some of them are at risk of contracting or being infected with certain disease if they are not provided with good working environments. Therefore, to ensure that health workers are well protected they should be provided with good instruments to carry their tasks better and to reduce the risk of contracting diseases. Quality assurance A body is required to be set to ensure that all medical equipment purchased and donated meet the required standards. The body work need to ensure that all the equipment that are shipped are authenticated and meet the threshold. Maintenance Maintenance of medical equipment is part of the management role. It is imperative for this equipment to be maintained well to ensure that they last longer and render services required. There are three groups of maintaining this equipment; daily, periodic and corrective maintenance. Health workers who use the equipment daily require to maintenance them on daily basis. Periodic is done on monthly, weekly or quarterly while corrective is done once the equipment has failed to function well. Maintenance contracts management Suppliers or manufacturers of sophisticated equipment such as x-ray, ultra sound scanners recommend to have maintenance contracts with their customers or countries. This is so, because, they have the requisite skills and knowledge to handle machines incase of any failure. This approach is important in ensuring equipment safety. Monitoring and evaluation It is advisable that these equipment are monitored and evaluated to ensure that they provide better services to the clients. The health facilities should ensure that they monitor and evaluate how the machines operate to ensure continued provision of quality services. Healthcare reports should be submitted to the relevant offices or ministry to assess the functioning of the machines. Disposal of the medical waste One of important equipment management guide is on disposal of the equipment. Reasons for disposal includes lack of spare parts, uneconomical, obsolescence among many other reasons. Maintenance workshop manager has the responsibility of informing the administration officer in charge of a healthy facility about any equipment that requires to be disposed (NHS Trust 2012). This consultation allows the manager to provide advice on the best way to dispose such products or equipment. The disposal procedures need to conform to the environmental laws of the country. Furthermore, international standards and guidelines should be adhered to. Some of these material or equipment are hazardous waste and therefore they require to be disposed in a special manner to avoid affecting the environment negatively. Some of the equipment or items that required careful disposal include mercury products such as thermometers, sphygmomanometers, radiotherapy equipment, smoke detectors, asbestos, equipment and polychlorinated biphenyl among many others. Conclusion Medical equipment libraries are one of the fundamental departments in any health organization. This department acts as a resource center in provision of services to the clients. Various equipment are stored in this libraries such as, machines, patient records and information that is used and is beneficial to both the staffs as well as patients. The current medical equipment management policy and guidelines have been of great important in ensuring effective management of this equipment in the resources. Policies help in planning, procurement and maintenance of medical equipment. These guidelines help in ensuring that medical equipment are well managed from the time of acquisition to the time of disposal. Reference list Device Bulletin DB2006 (05), 2006, Managing Medical Devices - Guidance for healthcare and social services organisations: MHRA, Nov 2006. www.mhra.gov.uk/Publications MHRA. (2013). Managing Medical Devices-DB 2006(05), Retrieved: http://www.mhra.gov.uk/Publications/Safetyguidance/DeviceBulletins/CON2025142 National Audit Office Report 1999 NHS Trust (2012). Portsmouth Hospitals: Medical devices policy. Retrieved from: https://www.google.co.ke/search?q=DB2006%20%285%29.&ie=utf-8&oe=utf- 8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&source=hp&channel=np The Electricity at Work Regulations, 2010, Statutory Instrument 1989 No. 635. ISBN 011096635X. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1989/Uksi_19890635_en_1.htm Read More