CME Insider's Blog Posts

The Covid-19 pandemic has certainly wreaked havoc on the healthcare equipment supply chain by increasing lead times, prices, and freight costs. Prior to the pandemic CME Corp recorded lead times for equipment between three and eight weeks on average. This week, lead times reached 12-20 weeks on average, more than tripling since the onset of the pandemic. Most industry leaders are expecting the supply chain to start to recover by the end 2022. What effect might the Ukraine-Russia War have on this recovery? It is still too early to tell what the long-term effects might be but there are already problems starting to surface. Here are three areas to watch:

The FDA will now ensure all Automated External Defibrillators in use currently and all future AED devices are reliable life-saving devices. Premarket approval is now required by the FDA for manufacturers of AEDs

In the past, many AEDs were manufactured using inadequate components, insufficient validation of the manufacturing processes along with design issues. In 2013, the FDA alerted users of certain models of AEDs manufactured between 2005 and 2012 that their AED may not deliver a shock to the patient in an emergency situation. Faulty AEDs can result in patient injury or prevent patient rescue. 

Healthcare systems have varied long term goals, but most providers want to improve infection control, foster better patient outcomes, and save money. CME and Comfortex can help you do all three.

Hospital mattresses have been targets of The Joint Commission (TJC) during inspections and the FDA in a recent MAUDE (Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience) adverse event report. Comfortex has pioneered advanced mattress alternatives for nearly 40 years and addressed the issues that plague other mattress manufacturers.

There is a clear need to better understand and monitor the long-term effects of COVID-19, and that starts with increasing PFT availability by adding testing equipment wherever possible.

Much attention has been focused on the ever-rising death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, the “light in the darkness” is that, thanks to the heroic efforts of physicians, respiratory therapists, nurses, and the rest of the clinical team, most people infected by the virus do, in fact, recover.

In addition, many who get infected don’t even encounter an inpatient care team. These mild COVID-19 cases are managed much like other respiratory infections - with supportive care and other therapies prescribed through an ambulatory care provider. But as we enter the third year of this pandemic and learn more about the SARS-CoV-2 virus, we continue to encounter more and more surprises.

The end of the year is a busy time in the healthcare industry, and if you’re responsible for equipment purchases, you’re surely aware of the time running out for budgeted items. Add a global pandemic into the mix and you'll understand that time is of the essence. You may have approved items that have yet to be purchased before year-end or else you'll lose the approval.  Or, you may have a budget allocated that, if unspent, it will be reduced next year.

Gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is incredibly helpful for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of many digestive diseases. Endoscopes used for procedures are notoriously hard to clean, and there are gaps and variations in implementing effective infection prevention practices for them.

Sure, proper cleaning protocols are absolutely critical, but if the endoscopes are not dried properly, this can lead to patient infections which no one wants! Choosing the right scope cabinet can help standardize cleaning routines, decrease infections, comply with The Joint Commission (TJC) inspections protocol, and keep track of all your endoscopes.

Here are three reasons to choose the InnerSpace Ventaire™ Cabinet:

Crash carts are an essential part of any medical facility. These carts need to be properly supplied and secured to ensure availability when an urgent situation arises. It is important that these carts are standardized throughout the facility as you never know where or when a situation may occur

Crash carts need to be ready to take on an emergency. Is yours? If the answer is no, then you might have some work to do. If your crash cart isn’t being utilized efficiently, there are a few underlying reasons as to why that is. The first is that the crash cart you invested in isn’t a proper match for your facility. The second revolves around supply management. Having the right supplies on a crash cart is vital because caregivers often need them immediately for the patient to survive.

In a 12-month data review of hospital data, the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority found 56 reports that showed emergency response calls where supplies or equipment were missing or expired. Of the 56 statements, 35 referenced issues with crash carts themselves, and 21 referenced problems with unavailable supplies or other supply management issues.

In today’s hospital setting, missing mobile medical equipment is a widespread problem. Nursing teams and biomedical teams can’t find equipment, which not only impacts the timeliness but also the safety of patient care.

Hospital executives typically look to resolve perceived equipment shortages by purchasing more equipment. However, the equipment they already have is likely underused: the average asset utilization rate is 30 to 40%.

Protecting workers is a must for all businesses, but it is especially essential in healthcare. Delivering acute care involves stressful scenarios where emotions run high. Patients suffering physical or mental trauma can become uncooperative or belligerent. Others could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol and threatening violence. This will always be a concern for the Emergency Department (ED), where anger can quickly escalate.

The threats are very real in healthcare. In fact, healthcare workers amount to almost 50% of all workplace violence victims.

Care providers are the greatest assets of an acute care facility, and protecting them is priority one for hospital administration and management. Options to protect workers shouldn’t be complicated or costly. As technology becomes easier to use and more closely connected, sometimes what is needed is a wearable badge with a button to push.