title: Management of medical technology: case study of a major acute hospital.
abstract: This paper presents results of a Capital Equipment Management Plan undertaken at a major acute hospital in Australia. By classifying existing equipment using a threshold replacement value into Major and Minor items, detailed planning information was collected for 527 items of Major equipment representing 80% of the hospital's total equipment stock. A number of meaningful views of this significant asset base are presented, and a prioritisation method used to provide recommendations for future equipment replacement and acquisition for a 5 year planning period. The survey work to identify and document actual equipment items provides a convincing argument for the funding levels required for capital equipment replacement and acquisition, and evidence for the extent of technology reliance in modern health care facilities.
authors.affiliation: Monash University Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Electrical & Computer Systems Engineering, Monash University, 3800, Australia. Ian.Brown@eng.monash.edu.au
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Smale
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease / Q000628:therapy; D001315:Australia; D001698:Biomedical Engineering; D002201:Capital Expenditures; D004470:Economics, Medical; D004865:Equipment and Supplies, Hospital; D005377:Financial Management, Hospital; D006752:Hospital Planning; D006801:Humans; D008284:Maintenance and Engineering, Hospital; D008421:Materials Management, Hospital; D013677:Medical Laboratory Science / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011682:Purchasing, Hospital