Medical devices management
need to rapidly use one in an emergency. Any extra time spent locating urgently needed items can impact patient survival and quality of care. Therefore, the ability to quickly identify its location could be life changing. Visibility of equipment location gives CE teams better oversight and helps them do their jobs more efficiently, enabling clinical staff more time to spend on patient care.
Managing maintenance & recalls As a safety measure, medical equipment must be regularly maintained and kept under constant review. Even in the case of minor faults, it is flagged immediately to CE teams and items are recalled. As part of their remit, CE regularly engages with regulatory bodies like the MHRA, which sends notifications and alerts regarding manufacturer updates on certain medical devices. This is why the pressure on CE teams is so intense – it is their responsibility to oversee medical equipment repairs alongside the manufacturer. Failure to locate and log these changes can cause serious harm.
Technology as an enabler To deal with the laborious, costly, and risky job of maintaining a huge medical asset library, healthcare organisations must embrace the technology specifically built to address the challenges they face. Deploying a market-specific asset tracking system, such as iAssets, is an ideal solution for the NHS to fix asset management processes right now, when Government spending is under scrutiny more than ever. Implementing asset tracking technology can help NHS Trusts manage medical devices more effectively and help transform patient care. Tracking technology offers a panoramic view of where each piece of equipment is located, whether that’s inside the hospital or
Any extra time spent locating urgently needed items can impact patient survival and quality of care. Therefore, the ability to quickly identify its location could be life changing.
across the community, thereby helping reduce time spent searching for them. Aside from helping reduce unnecessary expenditure on new equipment, efficient asset tracking also enhances operational efficiency, helps analyse peaks in demand through data insights, and improves patient safety. NHS pressures cannot be solved overnight, but innovative tracking technology can support front-line staff to perform their roles more efficiently and help control spending on vital equipment.
CSJ
References 1 Accessed at: https://transform.england.nhs. uk/blogs/embracing-digital-tools-to-improve- efficiency-productivity-and-patient-safety/
2 Accessed at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/ news/new-strategy-to-boost-nhs-access-to-
innovative-medical-technology
3 Accessed at: https://www.
accessandmobilityprofessional.com/ equipment-exodus-as-80-of-loaned-nhs- mobility-aids-go-missing/
4 Accessed at:
https://www.uclh.nhs.uk/news/ uclh-launches-walking-aid-return-and-reuse- scheme
5 Accessed at:
https://www.idoxgroup.com/ case-studies/chesterfield-royal-hospital/
About the author
Rob Kinnersley, healthcare lead at Idox, has spent over 25 years in healthcare technology. He leads the sales and account management functions and the product strategy for Idox’s asset tracking product, iAssets. He has established and run numerous health businesses and his passion is leveraging technology to make the lives of patients and NHS staff easier and make the solutions accessible, so their benefits can be realised.
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