Maintenance and Repair of Medical Devices

Stay on top of medical equipment repair for happy patients and happier administrators

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.

 

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

 

• 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.

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