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These compounding challenges can keep IT and clinical engineering teams from maintaining visibility and managing organizational risk without the proper tools and processes in place. Health systems with reactive cybersecurity programs will struggle to keep pace with the growing risk of cyberattacks, leading to a greater risk to patient safety and organizational well-being. To safely adapt to advancing network connectivity and AI-driven healthcare technology, health systems must have a scalable solution to identify and address medical-device cybersecurity risks.
Improve and simplify workloads for BMETs and nurses instead of increasing administrative burden
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Real-time locating systems (RTLS) can benefit nurses and BMETs even further. RTLS technologies can track medical equipment in real time, allowing frontline workers to easily locate and secure essential equipment for immediate patient needs.
Cyberattacks on healthcare organizations and the damage caused by those attacks are growing at an alarming rate. The number of healthcare cyberattacks grew 86% in 2022 from the year prior, with each attack costing an average of nearly $11 million. TRIMEDX data show that 74% of health systems already have more than half of their medical devices connected to the network. As that number continues to grow, bad actors will have more openings to access a health system’s network if devices are left unprotected. In addition to the extensive possibilities to improve healthcare, emerging technologies like AI will also bring about new and evolving cyber-risks. Plus, the development of technology often outpaces the development of legislation and regulation, putting the responsibility on health systems to stay ahead.
Increasing the level of governance over software-based solutions will help health systems address persistent challenges, including staff shortages, slim operating margins, and evolving cybersecurity risks. It’s essential for health systems to strategically adopt and manage technology portfolios to improve patient care and safety while achieving the organization’s reputational and financial objectives.
Biomedical equipment technicians (BMETs) and nurses are dealing with greater administrative workloads, burnout, and understaffing. These industry problems will continue in 2024, threatening clinical operations and the standard of patient care if health systems don’t act.
Health Care
How Medical Equipment Management Can Make or Break a System
Technology and what the future requires for patients and providers to thrive
Health systems can also leverage technology to help BMETs avoid unexpected equipment breakdowns, which allows them to focus on their primary responsibilities. A predictive work system can combine remote device monitoring, service expertise, and data science to identify and proactively respond to common preventable equipment problems before a failure occurs. When a predictive work system detects a problem, it sends an order to a BMET with prescriptive repair actions, relevant parts, and service manual information. The BMET can then alert clinicians and quickly make the repair during a break between patients or another convenient time before the device becomes unusable. This can eliminate days of unforeseen equipment downtime and, in turn, reduce stress and frustration for BMETs, clinicians, and patients while avoiding lost revenue for the health system.
Automated test equipment can save BMETs a significant amount of time and manual work while reducing the opportunity for human error. Automated test equipment allows technicians to run tests via mobile apps. It’s not necessary to write down or document the results because they’re automatically fed into the system. With the potential to automate the process, this could eliminate human error, reduce documentation time, and validate that test results are within permissible limits.
Ensure easy access to actionable and clear data on the performance of capital equipment investments
Published: Thursday, February 8, 2024 – 12:03