You start the day waking up – maybe sipping that cup of coffee, heading out for a morning run or just trying to get your bearings on the day ahead of you. As you move towards the bathroom and on the floor is that dreaded little box of how you measure your health and emotions! This common item in your very own home and one widely used and relied upon by the clinical customers you serve and provide impact too – the scale. You use this type of device for your personal needs and it truly determines how you manage your health as well as your outlook of how you feel!
What are some of the common thoughts that go through your mind when using this device? The first probably – this scale can’t be right! That’s not my weight – this scale if off. Is it? How do you know? What method do you use to confirm its accuracy? Chances are calibrated weights probably do not exist in your home nor is the household bathroom scale on a preventive maintenance/calibration cycle.
The critical uses of scales in the healthcare delivery environment are significant. A patient’s accurate measured weight is crucial in not only the monitoring and diagnosing of their health but has direct correlation in their treatment when prescribing medication or perhaps assessing dietary needs as well as fluid and nutrition retention. An even greater significance exists when determining the weight of neonates and young children. Their body mass definitely being smaller and lighter than compared to an adult can have serious and potentially life threatening effects if the weight measured is not accurate!
When looking around this countries healthcare provider locations the topic of patient scales and how they are maintained has rightfully began to receive the visibility long deserved with respect to its critical role in determining patient diagnosis and treatment. Many of the accrediting agencies have identified patient scales both adult and pediatric as high priority patient safety areas of concern. How a healthcare provider monitors accuracy and assures quality performance of scale devices is now being heavily scrutinized during inspections. This is a good thing!
Mr. and Ms. HTM service professional, review your service team’s patient related scale performance strategies. Does it meet the service and maintenance recommendation of its manufacturer? Does your service team have the calibration weights required to appropriately service these devices? How are your team’s “calibration weight’s” certified for accuracy? When working with small calibration weights used with neonatal scales do you wear gloves so as to not have your body oil adhere to it and potentially skew the accuracy of the weight? Scale maintenance is serious business – don’t be the biggest loser in this contest!
