title: Effectively utilizing device maintenance data to optimize a medical device maintenance program.
abstract: Methods developed by the clinical engineering community and the principles outlined by ISO regulations for the application of risk management to medical devices were integrated to provide a basis for the unique optimization system implemented into the University Health Network medical device maintenance program. Device maintenance history data stored in the database is used to conduct a risk analysis and to compute predefined benchmarks to highlight groups of equipment for which the current maintenance regime is not optimal. Using a software data research tool we are able to investigate device history data and support alterations in maintenance intervals, user training, maintenance procedures, and/or device purchasing. These alterations are justified, documented, and monitored for risk in a continuous management cycle. The predicted benefits are an overall improvement in the reliability of the devices maintained, coupled with a drop in repetitive device checks that result in no measurable benefits.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. d.brewin@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brewin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Easty
mesh_terms: D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D004864:Equipment and Supplies; D008283:Maintenance; D012308:Risk Management / Q000379:methods