The question, “How often should clinical engineering perform preventive maintenance on medical devices?” has been a subject of hot debate in hospitals around the country, says ECRI Institute, an independent nonprofit organization that researches the best approaches to improving patient care.
Juggling preventive maintenance with other activities is a constant struggle for hospital staff. Hospitals want to be sure they are safely maintaining their devices, but not at the expense of other more important activities.
Recently, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated their requirements for medical device inspection and preventive maintenance (IPM) procedures and scheduling. The new requirements give healthcare facilities the opportunity to develop their own IPM procedures and schedules for most medical equipment.
However, there are also new requirements facilities must meet as a result of the CMS ruling, and hospitals are seeking clear direction from CMS on the impact of the new regulatory ruling. These requirements are in addition to those already required by The Joint Commission and other accrediting agencies.
To update hospitals on the new CMS requirements for medical equipment maintenance, and to provide clarification on the new CMS regulatory ruling, ECRI Institute is presenting an educational web conference, “Complying without Crying: What the New CMS Requirement Means for your Equipment Maintenance,” on Wednesday, April 16, 2014, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm, ET.
The objectives of this webinar are to help participants identify what the updated CMS ruling requires; clarify which medical devices may have IPM intervals and procedures that differ from those recommended by the manufacturers; and recognize the key issues to consider when applying a risk-based approach to adjust Inspection and Preventive Maintenance (IPM) intervals and procedures.
Presenters include Jonathan Gaev, business line manager, BiomedicalBenchmark, ECRI Institute; and Craig Bakuzonis, director, clinical engineering, UF Health Shands Hospital. The moderator will be Erin Sparnon, engineering manager, health devices, ECRI Institute.
This program is intended for clinical engineering managers and directors, clinical engineers, biomedical equipment technicians, health technology management teams, risk managers, facility managers, and other healthcare professionals.
ECRI Institute, Patient Care, Webinar, CMS, IPM Procedures
