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.
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.
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.
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.
PROUD MEMBER OF:
© Copyright Health Association Nova Scotia 2023.
© Copyright Health Association Nova Scotia 2023.