Device Supportability & Service Manual Resources
Servicing medical technology can have major ramifications on patient safety and a facility’s budget. Who services the technology, when, and how is it done?
For years, healthcare technology management (HTM) professionals have voiced concern about the availability of service manuals from some manufacturers. Service manuals are a lightning rod for a broader issue—the supportability of medical technology. Many factors are at stake in the discussion including finances, liability, risk, patient safety, job security, business propriety concerns, regulations, education, training, hospital hierarchy and relationships, the fast-changing nature of technology, and an appreciation for how devices and systems are increasingly interconnected.
As a result, AAMI’s Technology Management Council (TMC) has created The Supportability Task Force to help address the issues with new resources and greater communication among stakeholders. As AAMI President Mary Logan notes, the initiative is designed “to facilitate greater understanding by both manufacturers and users, to find common ground, and meet the needs of both groups.”
Resources to help professionals navigate this often thorny issue will be housed on this page.