Analyzing the Importance of Healthcare Equipment Maintenance Software

The topic of safety in medical facilities is prevalent these days. Whether we go in for a routine check-up or are transferred by ambulance for an extended stay, we all want peace of mind that we are going to be safe and protected. That also goes for the type of care we receive, meaning that the equipment used is in top shape, up-to-date, available for use and clean. Healthcare equipment maintenance software provides hospital administrators a true return on their investment in keeping patients and staff safe and with the tools needed to provide care.

Most healthcare organizations spend a large portion of their budget on tracking hospital equipment. Poor asset management practices can lead to serious consequences. For example, it was reported that $6 million worth of state-owned hospital equipment was found to be missing in Louisiana State University (LSU) hospitals. To add insult to injury, newly purchased equipment from the hospital was also not properly tracked. Employees were wasting valuable time that could have been spent on patient care searching for lost assets. And the hospital was literally wasting millions of dollars because they couldn’t keep up with their equipment and had to buy replacement items for things that simply may have been misplaced.

As the number of patients receiving treatment of some sort goes up every year, the healthcare sector is forced to find more effective mechanisms to handle hospital workflow. Major factors pushing this trend include:

• the need for eliminating excess in costs,
• increased reliance on technology and
• improved staff productivity

To attain these objectives, the health sector is looking more and more towards all-in-one cloud-based solution packages for inventory control.

Why asset tracking matters in healthcare

As hospital administration looks for ways to cut costs but still offer top-notch care, they are realizing that they don’t have accurate data on what assets they actually own and how they are being used. Healthcare equipment maintenance software allows staff to track the entire lifecycle of all items in inventory – from pharmaceuticals to hospital beds, to x-ray machines and CAT scans. When assets are accurately and regularly tracked, staff have immediate knowledge of where equipment is, how much is on hand, when it has been serviced last, or when it is due for maintenance.

Analyzing the data

Data gathered by healthcare equipment maintenance software also is valuable to pinpoint trends in certain departments as well. Maybe certain types of equipment aren’t being used as often due to new acquisitions. Or a particular brand of blood pressure monitor is always in for service and needs constant upgrades. Or maybe the hospital staff is using a certain type of casting material more in the winter time than the summer and the procurement department needs to be sure they have more on hand in certain months of the year. This data on all of these different types of assets is invaluable to monitor how hospitals are spending money, on what and if it’s more prevalent during certain times of the year – which helps them avoid unnecessary expenditures and actually cuts costs.

Practicing proper hygiene and safety

Proper hygiene and safety routines need to be a top priority for any type of medical facility. If you fail to conduct some significant cleanliness drives, you are at a greater risk of infections. To avoid putting patients in danger, it is crucial that staff is up-to-date with their equipment maintenance practices. A multitude of hospital inventory items come into contact with patients every day, and as a result, have a high chance of contracting bacteria. If not maintained properly, these items can spread and cause serious diseases.

To control this, healthcare equipment maintenance software gives users the ability to schedule sanitation, sterilization, and equipment service/maintenance in advance. Users can even set alerts when equipment is running low and needs to be reordered.

Healthcare equipment maintenance software is creating a safer hospital environment through accurate data on assets and strict safety practices. Asset Panda’s healthcare asset management platform makes it easy for medical facilities and their staff to manage patient records, locate medical equipment, access maintenance records, and ascertain the status of each piece of equipment. Asset Panda ensures your medical team has the necessary information readily available to access important medical assets when they are needed. Designated users can scan each asset with a built-in barcode scanner to access full histories, generate reports, track maintenance schedules, or submit help tickets on every asset scanned in.

When healthcare professionals have the right tools at the right time and have confidence that devices are in working order, patient health is optimized. The less time staff has to search for and assess equipment, the more time they can spend with patients. For more information and a free 14-day trial, visit www.assetpanda.com.