title: Making existing technology safer in healthcare.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Technology, equipment and medical devices are vital for effective healthcare throughout the world but are associated with risks. These risks include device failure, inappropriate use, insufficient user-training and inadequate inspection and maintenance. Further risks within the developing world include challenging conditions of temperature and humidity, poor infrastructure, poorly trained service providers, limited resources and supervision, and inappropriately complex equipment being supplied without backup training for its use or maintenance.
  
  
  METHODS
  This document is the product of an expert working group established by WHO Patient Safety to define the measures being taken to reduce these risks. It considers how the provision of safer technology services worldwide is being enhanced in three ways: through non-punitive and open reporting systems of technology-related adverse events and near-misses, with classification and investigation; through healthcare quality assessment, accreditation and certification; and by the investigation of how appropriate design and an understanding of the conditions of use and associated human factors can improve patient safety.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many aspects of these steps remain aspirational for developing countries, where highly disparate needs and a vast range of technology-related problems exist. Here, much greater emphasis must be placed on failsafe, durable and user-friendly design--examples of which are described.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College, London, UK. r.newton@imperial.ac.uk
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.forename: Oliver T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Mytton
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.forename: William B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Runciman
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Free
authors.forename: Bjorn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fahlgren
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Farlow
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yaron
authors.forename: Gerad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Locke
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Whittaker
mesh_terms: D026683:Advisory Committees; D002568:Certification; D003906:Developing Countries; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D033161:Government Regulation; D006801:Humans; D061214:Patient Safety; D011358:Product Surveillance, Postmarketing; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D014944:World Health Organization