Medical Equipment: Benefits of Preventative Maintenance

As time goes on and the new device smell fades away, a common question often asked is how do I know if my equipment is functioning properly? Are my ECG readings accurate? Is the screen supposed to flicker? I wonder if my patient will notice the nursing tape holding the cracked case together? Before you put your device in a closet and slap on a sticky note “Do not use”, it's a good idea to consider investing in a Preventative Maintenance Plan.

It offers numerous benefits, many of which can have an immediate impact on your bottom line and maximize the life expectancy of your medical equipment. To provide you with a unique perspective on this topic, we reached out to our good friend Rob Rock to share with you his first hand experience with preventative maintenance in a healthcare setting. Rob Rock has 30+ years experience working as one of Sault Area Hospital lead Biomedical Engineers and is maintaining medical equipment on a daily basis.

1. Lower Maintenance Cost

By inspecting equipment on a regular basis, you can reduce major breakdowns by replacing known parts that deteriorate over time from usage. Going unchecked or not replaced, these components could cause a major breakdown of the equipment, require more parts to be replaced, and ultimately, place your patients at risk.

Most manufacturers have put their equipment through thorough testing to determine how long parts will last in the field. They then recommend changing parts at designated time intervals before they deteriorate to a point of breakdown. A good example would be replacing an o-ring inside a piece of equipment that prevents a fluid from leaking out. If you do not replace it as required by the manufacturer’s recommendation, this o-ring could fail causing fluid to leak out and damage more expensive parts in the piece of equipment. So replacing a $5 o-ring regularly could save you replacing a $2,000 circuit board.

2. Detection of Possible Malfunction

By performing a preventative maintenance inspection, the technician is opening up the equipment to inspect all the internal parts. The user only sees the outside of the equipment and not potential internal issues that may eventually cause a malfunction. Going back to our o-ring example. Let’s say that the o-ring is not a part that normally fails and is not on a replacement schedule. If the inspection is being done properly, the leak of that o-ring would be detected earlier, preventing a major part failure.

Also, if a failure like that occurs while the equipment is being used to treat or monitor a patient, the patient could potentially be harmed and you could be found liable. Finally, if a piece of equipment requires calibration or verification to maintain its accuracy in properly monitoring or diagnosing a patient’s condition, ignoring the required preventative maintenance can put the patient’s diagnosis and treatment at risk. If the patient is affected, the legal cost would far exceed the cost of regular preventative maintenance.

3. Reduce Downtime and Prolong Asset Life

Regular preventative maintenance helps reduce unexpected equipment downtime by identifying and addressing potential issues before they lead to equipment failure. By maintaining equipment proactively, healthcare organizations can benefit from:

• Improved equipment reliability: Regular inspections help identify worn components or developing issues before they impact performance or patient care.
• Reduced operational disruptions: Preventing unexpected breakdowns helps ensure critical equipment remains available when it is needed.
• Extended equipment lifespan: Proper maintenance can help protect your investment and delay the need for premature equipment replacement.
• Better long-term planning: Understanding maintenance requirements and replacement cycles allows organizations to budget more effectively and manage their equipment lifecycle.

The Value of Preventative Maintenance

Preventative maintenance may seem like an added expense, especially when the benefits are not always immediately visible. However, regular maintenance plays an important role in keeping medical equipment safe, reliable, and ready for use when patients and healthcare teams need it most.

By addressing potential issues before they become major failures, organizations can reduce unexpected repairs, minimize equipment downtime, and help extend the useful life of their assets. Investing in preventative maintenance can help avoid larger challenges in the future, protecting both your equipment and the quality of care it supports.