International Journal of Research Foundation of Hospital and Healthcare Administration

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VOLUME 7 , ISSUE 2 ( July-December, 2019 ) > List of Articles

Original Article

A Project to Improve Management of Biomedical Equipment in Selected Units of District General Hospital, Gampaha, Sri Lanka

PD Koggalage, Sunil De Alwis

Keywords : Biomedical equipment, Biomedical equipment inventory management, Health technology management, Inventory management system, Medical equipment management

Citation Information : Koggalage P, De Alwis S. A Project to Improve Management of Biomedical Equipment in Selected Units of District General Hospital, Gampaha, Sri Lanka. Int J Res Foundation Hosp Healthc Adm 2019; 7 (2):67-74.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10035-1109

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 01-04-2019

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2019; The Author(s).


Abstract

Introduction: It is vital to manage biomedical equipment efficiently in planning, acquisition, maintenance, repair, and disposal stages. It was observed and experienced that there were issues in management of biomedical equipment in District General Hospital (DGH), Gampaha, which is a provincial tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka. Aim: To identify the gaps and improve the existing system for management of biomedical equipment in the Operation Theaters (OTs) A and B, Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU), and Ward No. 1 of DGH, Gampaha. Materials and methods: This interventional research project was conducted in three phases in three randomly selected units: MICU, OTs A and B, and Ward No. 1. The preinterventional phase identified the gaps in the existing system through key informant interviews, desk review of documents, and surveys. Based on the findings, interventions were designed and implemented in the second phase. The postinterventional phase assessed the effectiveness of the interventions using the same techniques in phase I. Results: Lack of a systematic mechanism to record and quickly access information required for equipment management and incompleteness of information was found. A central-level computer-based Biomedical Equipment Inventory Management System (BEIMS) was implemented along with a personal record keeping system at the unit level. The postinterventional evaluation revealed that the interventions made the vital information available and significantly improved quick accessibility to necessary information about biomedical equipment (p < 0.05). Also, there was a significant improvement in the level of convenience (p < 0.05) and satisfaction (p < 0.05) of the stakeholders with the new mechanism. Conclusion: The BEIMS was effective in improving the management of biomedical equipment. It is recommended to link the BEIMS online with the respective units to improve accessibility to information and also to replicate this project in other units of the hospital.


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