By AAMI
AAMI Journal Sheds Light on Retirement Strategies for Medical Equipment
Healthcare facilities take different approaches to device retirement depending on their unique clinical and technological needs and often according to their financial resources. From the scrap pile to education programs or relief agencies, there are a number of places devices can wind up at the end of life.
With that in mind, AAMI’s award-winning journal BI&T (Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology) reached out to leaders of healthcare technology management (HTM) departments at several respected organizations across the country, asking them to describe their decommissioning strategies and the processes they rely on to ensure retirement success.
Removing protected health information is a matter of major importance in the retirement of medical devices. Other areas to be mindful of include ensuring equipment remains available for clinician use, protecting against cyberthreats, disposing of devices in an environmentally responsible way, and updating maintenance records.
Potential mishaps can be avoided, said Tara Brady, clinical technology risk manager at Kaiser Permanente in California, by taking a “life cycle approach” to technology management and retirement. “At every hand off – the purchase, onboarding, scheduled maintenance, and retirement – there should be accountability and documentation,” she said.
Financial considerations also factor greatly in the decision-making process. According to Izabella Gieras, director of clinical technology at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, CA, a key retirement challenge is related to the facility’s budget for replacements.
“We may say, ‘OK, we have the clinical need,’ or, ‘It’s time to decommission because we’ve reached the end of support,’ but then we have to think about our financial constraints. Therefore, it is essential to plan a proactive replacement plan for all medical equipment,” Gieras told BI&T.
I Am HTM
AAMI is celebrating the work of healthcare technology management professionals through the #IamHTM campaign. With photos and quotes, AAMI features one professional every week on its social media platforms.
Brothers Gerceia and Morlon Lee, biomedical engineering technicians at Children’s of Alabama, were recently featured. “Healthcare technology management is the nuts and bolts of healthcare,” they said. “The HTM field allows us to make a positive impact on patient care through our work on medical equipment.”
Show your pride in the profession by sharing these posts and using #IamHTM in your social media posts.
Join Your Colleagues at the First-Ever AAMI Exchange
From June 7-10, thousands of members of the healthcare technology community will gather in Cleveland, OH, to learn about the latest innovations and advances, get solutions to some of their toughest challenges on the job, and connect with their peers during the first AAMI Exchange. The Exchange is the name for AAMI’s growing and revamped Annual Conference & Expo.
“We’ve reimagined the annual conference to provide expanded offerings to guide thought leadership, business engagement, and industry growth, as well as new ways to engage with colleagues,” said Sherrie Schulte, AAMI’s senior director of certification and meetings. “This is about the hustle and bustle of a diverse group of dedicated healthcare technology professionals coming together for a common purpose. The range of information, insights, and ideas that will be discussed – both formally and informally – at the AAMI Exchange will make this a ‘can’t miss’ event.”
Throughout the conference, industry experts and leaders will share valuable insights about the biggest trends and challenges in the healthcare technology sector, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data analytics, virtual reality, and sterilization and reprocessing. In addition to education, networking, and professional advancement activities, the attendees can visit the Expo Hall to discover the latest technology from more than 200 medical equipment manufacturers. Early-bird discounts are available until March 20.
For more information about the conference and to register, visit www.aami.org/aamiexchange.
