Capacity building for medical equipment technicians improves healthcare

TitleCapacity building for medical equipment technicians improves healthcare
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2014
AuthorsWhittle C, Malkin R
JournalJournal of Clinical Engineering
Volume39
Issue3
Start Page142
Pagination142 - 147
Date Published01/2014
ISSN0363-8855
Abstract

A midprogram assessment was conducted to determine if a continuing education program to instruct biomedical engineers in equipment repair and management is impacting healthcare in Honduras. A matched cohort study was conducted with 12 hospitals. Collected information included source, age, and functionality of the equipment in up to 5 departments. Hospital directors and technicians were also interviewed. Hospitals with technicians in the program have significantly less out-of-service equipment (30%, P = .035) and are more often successful at repairing equipment taught in equipment-specific modules (P = .022). The greatest obstacle to repair was the lack of parts and accessories for all the surveyed hospitals. Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

DOI10.1097/JCE.0000000000000047
Short TitleJournal of Clinical Engineering