What equipment does the practice need?
Prior to acquiring any medical equipment, decide what you need
for everyday practice and then consider what procedures you will be
performing.
Purchase the priority items first. You may want to consider
purchasing more items later when your business is generating a
profit and you are more familiar with what services you will
frequently provide.
Equipment care and management
Create guidelines on the requirements for the routine care,
maintenance and safe use of medical equipment to prevent injury to
patients and staff. Your staff should be competent in the care,
maintenance and use of relevant medical equipment in the practice
and ensure the equipment is in safe working order.
Improving your practice
- Ensure you are aware of the warranty requirements. These can be
found in the instruction manual. Keep these warranties in a safe
and easily accessible place.
- The necessary equipment should match the range of services you
provide, the type of patients you will be consulting and the
procedures you intend performing. This includes appropriate
emergency and resuscitation equipment.
- All medical equipment should be used in accordance with the
manufacturers' instructions and be clean, in good working order and
appropriately stocked prior to use.
- On purchasing equipment, ensure you are familiar with the
maintenance and service program necessary to keep the equipment
functioning efficiently. Read the manufacturer's instructions
carefully for each piece of equipment and file these instructions
as needed for future reference.
- Regular preventative maintenance should be scheduled and
performed on all equipment according to the manufacturers'
instructions and any state and national guidelines.
- Electrical equipment should be tested at least annually, in
accordance with current state and national standards.
- An equipment register should be kept, documenting maintenance
and repairs of equipment. Service records should be maintained for
the life of the equipment and available to staff as required. Have
a procedure in place for this book to be checked on a monthly
basis.
- All relevant staff should receive education in the application
and use of existing and new medical equipment in the practice. This
education program and training should be initial and ongoing.
- Equipment training manuals and operating instructions should be
accessible at all times. If appropriate, it is helpful to have
brief and concise instructions also attached to each piece of
equipment.
- Staff should remove faulty equipment from service immediately
and send it to an authorised repairer. Any faulty equipment should
be documented in an equipment book, and necessary personnel
notified immediately.
- All equipment required to comply with relevant standards and
accreditation should be purchased first. Generally this equipment
is most crucial to that type of practice and this is likely to link
in with initial equipment requirements anyway.
- Ensure that all cleaning, maintenance and recording of your
equipment is compliant with relevant standards and accreditation
guidelines.