Inventory Management | April 10, 20231 |

Introduction to medical equipment inventory

management

Introduction to medical equipment inventory

management

Presented By

[Presenter Name]

[Presenter Title]

Date

Inventory Management | April 10, 20232 |

IntroductionIntroduction

Topic placement

Definition & importance of inventory

Purpose of inventory management document

Key Elements– Types of inventories– Items included in an inventory– Data included in an inventory– Inventory Management– Inventory as a tool

Challenges, resources & working group session

Inventory Management | April 10, 20233 |

Topic PlacementTopic Placement

Equipment inventory is part of the management cycle of medical equipment

Inventory starts after procurement or receipt of donations and is the main input to a medical equipment management program

Inventory is a primary component of a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) and assists to organize the maintenance of equipment

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DefinitionDefinition

An inventory is a detailed itemized list of assets  held by an organization or institution

– Must be continually maintained and updated to reflect the current status of each asset

– Depending on the nature of the organization and its assets, different details are tracked and updated as changes occur

Medical equipment inventory is a list of the technology on hand, including details of the type and quantity of equipment and the current operating status

– Accessories, consumables and spare parts inventories are directly correlated with the main medical equipment inventory

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ImportanceImportance

Equipment inventory is an essential part of an effective health-care technology management (HTM) system and may be used to:

– Develop budgets for capital purchases, maintenance and running costs

– Build and support an effective clinical engineering department– Support a medical equipment management programme– Plan the stock of spare parts and consumables– Support equipment needs assessment– Record equipment purchase, receipt, retirement and discard – Support facility risk analysis and mitigation, and emergency and

disaster planning

Inventory Management | April 10, 20236 |

Purpose of documentPurpose of document

To provide an overview of medical equipment inventory for people working within the health-care field and who wish to understand the topic in greater detail

To present the different types of inventory and the data included in these inventories

To illustrate the role of an accurate, detailed inventory in HTM and the importance in ensuring the inventory provides useful information to support informed decision-making throughout the HTM cycle

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Key elementsKey elements

Types of inventories– National, regional, facility– Medical equipment, consumables, spare parts, workshop tools &

test equipment

Items included in an inventory– Some facilities may include every piece of equipment– Facilities may establish inclusion criteria

• Risk assessment (equipment function, physical risk, maintenance requirements, incident history)

• Mission criticality & utilization rates• Facility needs & usage rates

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Data included in an inventory:

Inventory identification number

Type of equipment/item

Brief description of item

Manufacturer

Model/part number

Serial number

Physical location within facility

Condition/operating status

Power requirements

Operation/service requirements

Date inventory updated

Maintenance service provider

Purchase supplier

Other info as needed

Key elementsKey elements

Inventory Management | April 10, 20239 |

Key elementsKey elements

An inventory is effective only when it is comprehensive and accurate

Inventory is updated whenever there is any change or addition of information and during annual audits and reviews

Three stages of inventory management:– Initial data collection– Information update (due to any change in information)– Annual audit/review

Inventory Management | April 10, 202310 |

Key elementsKey elements

Inventory may be paper- or computer-based– Keeping a paper-based record back-up is good practice

Once the inventory has been established, it can be a very helpful tool within the clinical engineering department and the health-care facility as a whole

Inventory can be used as a tool in:– Forecasting and developing budgets– Planning and equipping a technical workshop– Determining required staffing– Identifying training needs

Inventory Management | April 10, 202311 |

Key elementsKey elements

Inventory can be used as a tool in (cont’d):– Managing service contracts– Running an effective medical equipment management

programme – Planning for spare parts and consumables orders– Performing needs assessment– Developing replacement and disposal policies and goals– Developing purchasing and donations goals– Performing risk analysis, management and mitigation– Planning for disasters and emergencies– Making a case for equipment standardization

Inventory Management | April 10, 202312 |

ChallengesChallenges

Change of mindset– Any change will always be met with resistance– Collecting and updating data, assigning numbers, organizing

paperwork and/or information may be seen as ‘extra work’– Workers might be unclear on the purpose or benefit of the work– Staff leading inventory data collection should encourage workers

and explain benefits for collecting and maintaining inventory data

Lack of manpower or time for initial data collection– Dedicate one person or a certain amount of time each week to

inventory data collection

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ChallengesChallenges

Lack of budget– Inventory may involve extra costs for supplies, such as paper,

inventory stickers/labels, computers, files– Evaluate ‘bare minimum’ vs ‘nice-to-have’

• Ex: printing inventory ID# with market vs. inventory stickers/labels• Ex: paper-based vs. computer-based inventory system

– In dire need, responsible department should evaluate current budgets and attempt to re-allocate funds or request

Inventory Management | April 10, 202314 |

ChallengesChallenges

Determining the inventory identification number system– Sequential numbering: 1, 2, 3...

• Simplest method• Does not give any information about the machine

– Coded numbering: identifies unique features of the equipment• Tells information about the machine• May be complicated; department must agree on and understand codes

– Barcodes: barcode stickers label each piece of equipment• Can easily access detailed information about the equipment remotely• Requires barcode stickers, barcode reader and appropriate software

Inventory Management | April 10, 202315 |

ChallengesChallenges

Handling/discarding unused or obsolete equipment discovered during inventory

– When performing initial inventory, equipment that is unused, obsolete or beyond repair may be discovered

– The facility can use this inventory data collection process to ‘clean house’ and remove all such devices

– The disposal process may be complicated and lengthy, but facilities should attempt to push through the process to eliminate hazards and unnecessary clutter

– Donating equipment to local biomedical technician programmes is an excellent way to discard of equipment while supporting healthcare technology programme development

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ChallengesChallenges

Maintaining/updating inventory– Inventory data collection is fairly easy and straightforward and is

probably the simplest step in developing an effective medical equipment management program

– Records must be updated every time there is a change– A clear process on when and how to update records will simplify

the workflow

Inventory Management | April 10, 202317 |

Resources availableResources available

‘How to Manage’ Series for Healthcare Technology, Ziken International (Health Partners International), 2005

Clinical Engineering Handbook, J. Dyro, Elsevier Academic Press, 2004

Recommended practice for a medical equipment management program. American National Standard ANSI/AAMI EQ56

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Working group sessionWorking group session

List examples of types of equipment that could/should be included/excluded in an inventory. Why?

A list of data included in an inventory was presented– Why are each of these items important?– What other data could be included in an inventory and why?

For your setting, discuss:– Pros and cons of paper- and computer-based inventory systems– Which inventory numbering system might be most appropriate?– How might an inventory be used as a tool?– Personal experiences with medical equipment inventory End

Inventory Management | April 10, 202319 |

WHO Medical Device technical SeriesWHO Medical Device technical Series

Training module of :

Introduction to medical equipment inventory management

Developed by Tania O'Connor

April 2011

Global Initiative on Health Technologies, WHO

Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Inventory Management | April 10, 202320 |

Thanks!Thanks!

Contacts:

http://www.who.int/medical_devices/en/

mailto:medicaldevices@who.int

Phone: + 41 22 791 1239

Fax: +41 22 791 48 36

Skype: WHOHQGVA1 (then dial 11239)

Other: (presenters name and email)

Objective: to ensure improved access, quality and use of medical devices.