Expand your knowledge of maintenance and repair of medical devices that you use in your business. This type of equipment is very expensive, delicate and difficult to replace, both in the short and long term. Reducing the downtime is critical to the ongoing success of any medical or hospital practice.

Increase the effectiveness of the downtime by investing the time to learn the best techniques for the repair and maintenance of medical devices. The higher the skill level, the less downtime the equipment will have and the more productive your office will be. Follow the three steps below to learn more about medical equipment repair.

1. Find medical equipment repair companies.

2. Study medical equipment repair manuals and books.

3. Find a medical equipment repair technician.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Identify medical equipment repair companies

Make a list of your medical and hospital equipment and the categories they fall in. Include the purchase price, service contract, if any, the date purchased and where the equipment is located. From this master equipment list, identify the types of repair contractors that are needed for this specialized equipment.

I recommend: Look for service companies that can provide maintenance on medical equipment. Mera and Accurate Biomed Services both provide medical equipment maintenance. When selecting a new supplier, ask for and check all references. To validate the quality of the service provided, send a test item to the supplier. When it is returned, check for quality of work and cleanliness. Medical equipment must be returned sterile. Do not use any service that does not meet this basic requirement.

Read medical equipment repair manuals and books

Gain the skills necessary to perform basic maintenance on medical equipment by reading the manual provided with the equipment. Learn the names and functions of each part that requires medical equipment maintenance. Invest time to read medical device maintenance schematics drawings to improve your understanding.

I recommend: Purchase books on electronic medical equipment repair to learn enough to perform basic maintenance and repairs on your medical equipment. Most equipment manuals include a section on the basic maintenance on medical equipment. In this section you will find tips and common areas of difficulty. The Medical Equipment Service Manual: Theory and Maintenance Procedures or the Clinical Engineering Handbook, both of which provide very detailed information on how to medical device repair.

Locate a medical equipment repair technician

Find a medical device repair technician to provide in house medical device and hospital equipment repair service. Contact local medical equipment repair companies for assistance. When the service technician comes, check for mechanical aptitude and the ability to troubleshoot and perform health equipment repair.

I recommend: Identify potential service companies who can meet your needs. Advantage Medical Systems and Blue Ridge Medical Imaging both provide equipment repair services and have skilled staff on hand to perform these tasks. The need for this specialty skill is very low, making it very difficult to hire staff who are fully trained and experienced in the maintenance and repair of medical devices. Make use of service firms to meet your needs.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The maintenance and repair of medical devices basics can be learned by anyone with a little effort and time. All equipment technicians should be able to perform basic maintenance on the medical equipment they use on a regular basis.

Medical equipment is the mainstay of hospitals, laboratories and many doctor offices. Healthcare professionals depend on these devices to diagnose, treat and monitor patients. Since keeping medical devices working is a priority, medical device repair should be easy.

Machinery of all kinds breaks down occasionally, so the key to limiting its effect on your company is by having procedure and contact information for medical equipment repair readily accessible.

Make medical equipment maintenance a priority to provide benefits like:

1. Catch problems at an early stage for a smaller (and cheaper) repair vs. a larger (and more expensive) one.
2. Following manufacturer recommendations for medical device maintenance to keep problems from occurring.
3. Warranty plans often require adhering to a maintenance schedule.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get medical equipment maintenances in a leasing agreement

Instead of buying medical devices, save money by leasing. Constant technological advances render some devices obsolete. Leasing allows you to continue using state-of-the-art equipment. It also allows you to skip the costs of medical device maintenance.

I recommend: When you lease equipment, make certain medical device repairs and maintenance is included in your package. Philips leases medical devices and provides support, tutorials and warranty information on its products. Henry Schein Medical leases devices and provides medical instrument repair to to small equipment and surgical devices.

Use medical equipment providers

Medical equipment providers come with lots of benefits, including helping with set up and training on medical devices. Contact your sales rep directly about repairs when possible. He or she wants your repeat business, so you may get a quicker repair.

I recommend: You’ll find many local medical equipment vendors. No doubt, some of their sales reps regularly call on your business. Another option is requesting a catalog of medical equipment and supplies from companies like Medix Corporation. Fisher Healthcare offers literature in addition to setting up maintenance and repair services.

Go to the manufacturer for medical device repair service

If you know the exact medical device repair service you need, consider working directly with the manufacturer. At the time of purchase, ask about warranty information. Make certain you have a name and phone number to call in case the device needs repairs.

I recommend: Rigel Medical is a specialized biomedical equipment manufacturer that includes a service and calibration department. If they can't repair other equipment, ask for a referral to other biomedical repair companies. If you run into trouble with a manufacturer fulfilling their part with repairs or replacing defective device, contact the FDA. Under Section 518(b) of the Medical Device Amendment, the FDA can order “manufacturers, importers or distributors to repair, replace, or refund the purchase price of devices that present unreasonable health risks.”

Sign up for full-service maintenance on medical equipment

If you would rather avoid the headache of remembering what to do and when, contract for medical equipment maintenance services.

I recommend: SterilMed and Medical Resources, Inc. are two companies that provide medical and hospital equipment repair on devices from dozens of manufacturers.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Keep instructional manuals easily accessible, and follow medical equipment maintenance recommendations.
• •  Sign a contract with a medical equipment company to provide all your medical equipment repair needs.
• •  Hospital equipment repair often requires highly skilled labor. If you don't have the training to repair items like medical imaging equipment, leave it to the professionals.

Learn more about the pricing and costs of maintenance and repair of medical devices. This type of equipment represents a significant asset and a large financial investment. The proper maintenance and care increases the useful life and reduces the annual cost of the equipment. The cost of the maintenance must be considered as part of the decision making process for maintenance on medical equipment.

Expand your knowledge about the maintenance costs of medical devices and equipment in order to improve the purchasing decision. The more information you have about current and future costs, the better decision can be made. Follow the three steps below to learn more about pricing and costs of medical equipment repair.

1. Learn about medical equipment repair companies.

2. Investigate service contracts for medical equipment repair.

3. Look into medical device repair usage.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Explore medical equipment repair companies

Investigate the costs involved in medical device repair in a systematic way. Make a list of all the equipment that you have, the year it was made, the purchase price and the estimated years of service expected from the equipment. Divide the purchase cost by the total number of serviceable years to arrive at the annual depreciation value. Determine a reasonable percentage of this value as your medical device repair budget.

I recommend: Meet with sales representatives from medical equipment repair companies like Mera Service and Biotronics to find their hourly rate for the repair of your equipment. Evaluate the cost of this service against the cost of a service contract. The hourly rate for service equipment ranges between $26 to $50 per hour.

Look into service contract for medical device repair

Research the cost of a service contract or health equipment repair when purchasing new equipment. A flat rate is charged for an annual service contract. A service contract on new medical device equipment ranges from $ 3,000 to $10,000 per year, depending on the equipment.

I recommend: Purchase an article from IEEE Explore to learn more about service contracts. Read The AUPHA Manual of Heath Services Management for details on practices in hospitals. These resources specialize in service contracts for medical device equipment and provide information about what is available. Review the fine print on the contract to ensure the correct parts are covered. Speak with other customers to determine the common issues with the equipment and ensure those items are covered under the service contract.

Investigate medical device repair based on usage

Analyze the projected usage of the hospital equipment repair and determine peak demand. Calculate the total cost of lost revenue and productivity incurred when the medical equipment is not available, due to repair or breakdown. Obtain pricing for an after hours service plan of medical device maintenance. The average hourly rate should be between $55 and $75 per hour.

I recommend: Purchase a report on the industry from Market Research.com. Read the certification requirements for AAMI to learn more about qualified medical equipment repair staff. Work closely with your on site technicians to obtain feedback and suggestions how to reduce the frequency of medical equipment maintenance through careful care on a regular schedule.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Medical device equipment service life can be extended through careful maintenance, or shortened through carelessness and lack of attention to details. Educate your technicians on the cost of the machine and of the issues surrounding maintenance and repair.

Medical devices are intricate pieces of equipment that work to repair the human body. Many medical devices are only used once, but others require extensive storage and maintenance since they will be used multiple times. Companies that repair medical equipment strive to meet the high standards of the original manufacturer. This helps to maintain a standard of quality throughout the industry.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Quality System Requirements

Quality System Requirements are rules set forth by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that help to regulate the production of new medical devices and also help to set standards for maintenance and repair of these devices.

I recommend: The Food and Drug Administration outlines its Quality System Requirements in its Medical Device Quality Systems Manual.

Original equipment manufacturer (OEM)

The original equipment manufacturer is the manufacturer that built and sold the medical device. Companies strive to meet the same OEM standards of production when maintaining or replacing parts on medical devices.

I recommend: Reference for Business provides an overview of OEMs and how these manufacturers set standards in production.

Replacement parts

Replacement parts are new parts that can be used on medical devices when a specific part has worn out. Replacement parts help to sustain the life of the equipment and provide a cost-saving option for medical facilities.

I recommend: ipFrontline provides the guidelines for using replacement parts on medical devices that are patented.

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) registered facility

The International Organization for Standardization works to set standards for regulation in a number of industries. An ISO registered facility is one that complies with a specific set of standards.

I recommend: The International Organization for Standardization provides facility registration for manufacturers that meet quality and environmental management standards.

Steam sterilization monitoring

Steam sterilization monitoring is a maintenance technique used to monitor all types of machines that use steam sterilization to clean medical devices.

I recommend: Infection Control Today provides information on the different types of steam sterilization monitoring processes.

Medical vacuum sealer

A medical vacuum sealer is a piece of equipment used to maintain medical devices that are sensitive to oxygen and moisture levels. The vacuum sealer provides a controlled barrier environment for those medical devices.

I recommend: Van Der Stahl Scientific provides information on a medical vacuum sealer, one of many maintenance tools used for medical devices.