Med One Blog

3 Ways To Prevent Medical Equipment Downtime

3 Ways To Prevent Medical Equipment Downtime

Every minute a medical facility’s equipment experiences downtime, the quality of care that a patient will receive can decrease. Finding ways to prevent this can be the difference between life and death for some. There are instances where these occurrences are out of the control of the care givers, such as power outages, but understanding how to respond to ensure equipment stability is essential. Let’s discuss preventative actions and steps you can take in your facility!

Recognize Common Issues Causing Breakdown

The best way to prevent an issue is to understand its reason. In medical equipment, several things can cause recurring downtime in devices. Identifying the triggers is essential to creating an optimal and effective maintenance plan.

The most common issues leading to downtime include:

  • Inadequate installation methods
  • General wear and tear on aging parts
  • Environmental problems that increase wear
  • Incorrect care and maintenance
  • Poor hardware design
  • Accidents resulting in the mishandling of the device

Construct Preventative Maintenance Plans

Creating and establishing a preventative maintenance plan is critical in medical facilities. It’s vital to note that all medical devices and equipment will eventually reach their time, but a facility’s ability to extend its life is contingent on proper maintenance. Partnering with the equipment vendor and manufacturer can better assist you in creating adequate maintenance plans.

The following list is worth including in a plan:

  • Establish a battery care program
  • Thoroughly train users on correct operational procedures
  • Ensure you receive all necessary accessories and that more are available
  • Maintain an appropriate environment per the equipment’s needs

Keep An Equipment Failure Log

In addition to finding the possible reasons for failure or downtimes, keeping a record of these issues can assist in finding common denominators and significant action steps. Keeping this log can help provide the best care and maintenance for specific problems, and if issues are recurring, it can show when it’s time to replace or repair pieces and parts.

Following an appropriate preventative plan, especially for fluids administration, is critical. When fluids administer inaccurately, patients and the care team are at risk. Contact Med One Group today to learn more about programs, devices, and techniques. We offer quality Medfusion syringe pumps and provide complete customer service to ensure safety, health, and flow management.