Full Lifecycle Management of Medical Devices

Many hospitals prioritise purchasing while neglecting ongoing maintenance. Acceptance checks are superficial, routine quality control is missing, and consumables, spare parts and service contracts are poorly tracked until unexpected downtime occurs.

A standard five-stage lifecycle workflow:

Needs assessment: Evaluate specialty workload, site conditions, infection control and IT integration requirements to avoid overbuying high-end models.

Acceptance testing: Verify registration certificates, manuals, calibration documents and accessories, and complete on-site functional testing.

Routine quality control: Schedule metrological verification and calibration, prioritising life-support devices and maintain complete records.

Maintenance and spare parts: Differentiate between OEM service and third-party maintenance, and build emergency response plans.

Retirement and disposal: Secure data wiping, asset write-off and decommissioning following infection control and hazardous waste regulations.

Life-support devices including AEDs, patient monitors, infusion pumps and ventilators are classified as high-risk assets and require separate logs and priority inspection. Effective equipment management protects patient safety, minimises downtime and optimises total cost of ownership (TCO).