It has been said that people do not plan to fail, but they do fail to plan which often results in the same thing. Pre-planning is very important to assure the success of any project, but for the delivery, set-up and operation of major medical equipment, it is essential.
Proposal And Agreement
Pre-planning will allow senior management to assess the equipment requirements and see how it will fit into the scope and objectives of their annual plan. Changes will then be addressed with the appropriate staff members, as well as any required hospital administration. The appropriate steps will be taken in addressing operational requirements in the maintenance and safety of the equipment.
Progress can then be followed and the proper people will be involved to ensure not only the smooth acquisition of the equipment, but that the equipment will be included in the annual plan in all areas necessary from safety procedures to training and the need for ongoing inspection and maintenance.
Outline The Steps Necessary For Your Facility
With a plan in place you can outline the steps and ensure everything is running according to schedule. Steps could include:
- Develop the specification of standards that must be met in accordance with your facilities policies and procedures
- Pre-purchase assessment and analysis of capital equipment prior to delivery
- Selection of supplier should be based on safety standards, performance and training required
- Delivery and installation plan
- Contract and negotiation process
- Order placement
- Equipment overview staff meeting
- Inspection of equipment prior to and upon arrival
- Delivery site preparation with your distributor
- Installation and safety check with verification all standards are met
- Risk assessment in hand with safe operation methods and staff training schedule prior to use (consider off-site options to be ready when equipment is delivered)
- Acceptance of delivery by appropriate hospital personnel
- Maintenance schedule in place
- Training of facility staff
Equipment Assessment
Pre-planning for successful equipment procurement will allow you to do an assessment and comparison of available models, performance, cost and estimated delivery times. You can also see how the equipment fits into your health and safety risk factors through your risk management department or consulting company. This is not an easy task and will take time to investigate to ensure the equipment is suitable for the purposes of use, as well as the conditions of use.
Recommended maintenance by the manufacturer will have to fit in with your facility's scope of management, scheduling, and budget. You will also have to consider training to ensure all staff are able to use the new equipment properly and safely. All of this must be reviewed prior to acquisition of your capital equipment delivery.
Training
When you have pre-planned for your equipment you will be able to make arrangements with the manufacturer or supplier to provide off-site training prior to capital equipment delivery. This will allow staff to be prepared for the installation and then receive training on-site in accordance to your facility's safety outline. Training and use will also have to be included in staff job descriptions, especially if it is new equipment purchased to provide improvements or enhancement to your current healthcare services.
Post Project Review
Last but not least, your schedule should include a post-project review to ensure that once your capital equipment delivery is complete, risk assessments are made for operation of the equipment. From an operational standpoint, you will know that the system is being used safely and that procedures are in place for current and future operator assessment. Pre-planning is vital to successful equipment delivery.
About CME: CME Corp is the nation’s premier source for healthcare equipment, turnkey logistics, and biomedical services, representing 2 million+ products from more than 2,000 manufacturers.
With two corporate offices and 35+ service centers, our mission is to help healthcare facilities nationwide reduce the cost of the equipment they purchase, make their equipment specification, delivery, installation, and maintenance processes more efficient, and help them seamlessly launch, renovate and expand on schedule.
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