Taking Care of Medical Devices
Medical equipment can be quite expensive, particularly devices used to diagnose and operate on patients. While there will come a point in time when equipment needs to be replaced, you can certainly prolong the life cycle of an asset by taking appropriate precautions and following a scheduled maintenance plan.
As an experienced supplier of medical equipment in Australia, Paragon Care understands that taking care of medical devices is made infinitely easier if the equipment is high-quality. Our product portfolio is comprehensive, as is our range of maintenance and service offerings. We aim to provide our customers with support at every step of the journey, helping you to both select and protect your assets.
Strategies for medical equipment maintenance
Without set strategies in place, you risk investing a significant amount in your medical equipment portfolio for limited return.
Follow a scheduled maintenance plan: Too often, what starts as a minor equipment fault quickly turns into a significant issue because it’s not caught soon enough. By following a scheduled maintenance plan, you give technicians the best chance at picking up on small problems and fixing them immediately, improving the functionality of equipment and reducing the likelihood that you will have to put any device out of action whilst waiting for repair.
Only use certified technicians: Not all engineers are qualified to repair medical devices. In fact, by hiring the wrong technician, you could be doing more harm than good. Fortunately, Paragon Care boasts a team of over 50 technicians across Australia and New Zealand, all of whom are fully trained to manufacturer’s certification. Our technicians only use genuine manufacturer parts, meaning you can be confident that your equipment is functional and accurate, even post-repair.
Cleaning and disinfection: Cleaning and disinfection is first and foremost important from a patient safety perspective, particularly for reusable devices. There are strict rules that govern hygiene and are designed to reduce the risk of cross contamination.
In addition to this, regular cleaning can help prolong a device’s lifespan. Aim to keep equipment free from moisture and dust and use only appropriate cleaning products.
Take note of wattage and battery: This may seem like a simple one but ensure that the right type of power is being supplied to your devices. Not only will this reduce the risk of a total breakdown but it’s also important from a patient safety perspective.
Think ahead: Medical equipment is much like any other type of equipment in that it is prone to breakdowns. You may even need to purchase replacement parts, depending on the issue at hand. The availability of spare parts is often an issue for healthcare providers, particularly if they’ve purchased equipment from an overseas seller without appropriate customer service.
When researching medical equipment suppliers, consider all aspects of medical equipment management, including how your choice of supplier may affect your ability to take care of devices.
Inventory management: As a healthcare manager, the management of medical equipment supplies is one of your top responsibilities. By staying on top of the equipment you own, how old it is, failure frequency, downtime, and repair costs, you will be able to proactively plan maintenance to try and maximise asset use.
Staff training: Ideally, all your staff will know how to use equipment and devices, but this is a dangerous (and potentially costly) assumption to make. Too often, equipment failure is brought on by staff who may not understand completely how to use or set up a device.
Prioritise staff training and try to cultivate a working environment in which all staff members feel comfortable asking for help.
Paragon Care — supporting you every step of the way
At Paragon Care, we believe in supporting our customers throughout the entire life cycle of an asset. We’ll provide tailored advice regarding the medical equipment supplies your facility needs and go one step further with our maintenance and service offerings.
We’re proud to be recognised as a leading provider of medical equipment in Australia. Our vision is to provide advanced solutions to improve patient experience and workflows, and we are confident that our comprehensive product portfolio, combined with the offerings of our service department, achieves this.
Our team of highly trained technicians can provide advice regarding medical equipment maintenance and how best to prolong the life of your assets. For more information, contact the team at Paragon Care today.