Risk Management

Patient safety is the ultimate focus of all activities carried out by Clinical Engineering. The service, in participation with health care professionals, device manufacturers, and regulatory & advisory agencies, investigates issues of safety and risk as they relate to patient care equipment.

Risk management, as an activity, is a fundamental element of all the services Clinical Engineering provides. It is particularly visible in three areas – the handling of equipment-related alerts; investigation and consultation of incidents; and reporting on dangerous and/or obsolete equipment safety issues.

Equipment-Related Alerts:

The Service has a well developed Alerts, Product Notification, and Equipment Recall handling process in place. All documentation received is reviewed by a standing committee of senior technologists who provide recommendations and coordinate follow up on specific issues as required.

Incident Investigations:

When called upon, our Service formally investigates incidents in health care facilities where electro-medical equipment is involved that results in harm or death of a patient.

A well-defined process exists for capture of data and information surrounding the incident. The Service provides specific recommendations and provides follow-up as necessitated by any equipment-related failures.

Dangerous/Obsolete Equipment:

A common activity for our staff is the provision of reports with specific recommendations on the disposition of obsolete and/or dangerous equipment. This equipment is identified through our annual preventive maintenance inspections, through repair calls, and through communication with device manufacturers.