Affiliations: [a] Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Biomedical Lab, University of Florence, Florence, Italy | [b] Clinical Engineering Contract, University of Florence, Florence, Italy | [c] Full Professor of Electromagnetic Theory and Techniques, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Roberto Miniati, Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Biomedical Lab, University of Florence, Via S. Marta 3, 50139 Florence, Italy. E-mail: roberto.miniati@unifi.it.
Abstract: The appropriate maintenance of medical devices, including performance inspections and preventive maintenance, is fundamental in mitigating clinical risk caused by adverse events in health care. Although several models for managing and planning preventive maintenance have been developed, the problem is lacking in standard methodology and still presents an open challenge for today's health experts. This paper aims to provide and develop methodology together with support systems able to assist decision makers in constructing preventive maintenance and performance inspection plans, taking into account both the technical and economic needs of hospital clinical engineering departments. Interventions by decision makers are of crucial importance within complex situations where large numbers, types of devices and different contractual situations are involved. SISMA system has achieved optimal results with minimum expense and maximum security for patients and technicians at the University Hospital of Florence where it has been applied in actual case studies.
Keywords: Technology in healthcare, clinical engineer, preventive maintenance, decision support system
