Ohio Clinical Engineering Association

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act And The Importance

Ohio Clinical Engineering Association — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:00:35 +0000

Of Healthcare Asset Inventory

In today’s highly competitive hospital environment, capital asset management is becoming more important than ever. Asset management is still one of the weakest areas of internal control and with the passing of new legislations; facilities have to be more accountable.

In 2002, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was enacted as a reaction to the number of major corporate financial scandals including those from Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, and others. This set new standards for U.S. corporate auditing and holds CEO’s and CFO’s personally responsible for the accuracy of the company’s financial reporting. Institutions such as hospitals must also follow Sarbanes-Oxley. Any organization seeking grants, large insurance policies, or additional forms of funding must adhere to Sarbanes-Oxley.

Maintaining accurate records of all assets the facility is managing is imperative to proper auditing practices. It is recommended hospitals record/reconcile their capital equipment list every 3-5 years. Movable medical equipment is lost, replaced, and stolen more often than administrators think.

So, how can one accurately report the capital assets currently owned if you don’t KNOW what you have? Out of date information on your hospital’s capital asset ledger can have a major compliance and financial impact.

Things to think about:

- How are you auditing your capital assets?
- What processes do you have in place?
- Supply inventories may be conducted yearly, but when was your last capital audit?

Industry experts and analysts agree hospitals that maintain an effective asset management program have an overall lower cost of ownership, reduced procurement, operations, and other costs.

CLICK HERE for more information on The Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

Contributed By:
Manage Resource Group
Brunswick, Ohio
“Helping to assess, inform, and empower healthcare providers with their equipment management needs.”
CLICK HERE to visit our website.

NIBP Measurement Techniques

Ohio Clinical Engineering Association — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:55:44 +0000

NIBP Measurement Techniques Issues and Challenges that affect us with Ausculatory and Oscillometric.

Ausculatory (manual or automated) uses detection of Korothoff sounds to determine blood pressure. Detection is either by a clinician’s ear using a stethoscope or a microphone inside of an automated unit. Pressure is displayed by either a dial(Aneroid) or column of mercury.

Oscillometric measures the oscillations in the air contained in the machine’s umbilical cable caused by the arterial pressure pulse. The machine measures MAP then calculates systolic and diastolic pressure. This reading is usually displayed by LED’s (Light Emitting Diodes) on a display.

CLICK HERE to view/download this short
Powerpoint Presentation.

Counterfeits Threaten Patient Safety

Ohio Clinical Engineering Association — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:00:11 +0000

By: Martha Vockley

Medical technology professionals, beware. A stealth incursion perpetrated by unscrupulous operators could test everything you know and believe about the healthcare industry and patient safety.

Activities that befit a thriller film or airplane reading—organized crime, corruption, fraud, subterfuge, forgery, identity theft, black markets, shadow trade, bogus Internet sites, illegal border crossings—could turn into a real-life nightmare. Why? Counterfeit medical devices and supplies are beginning to show up on the radar as an emerging concern for regulators, manufacturers, healthcare institutions, legal and risk experts—and you.

CLICK HERE to view/download the entire PDF file article.

CLICK HERE to view/download: Best Practices in the Fight Against Global Counterfeiting, An Action Guide to Strengthen Cooperation and Collaboration Across Industry Sectors and Among Global Supply Chains PDF file document.

AAMI and ASHE to Collaborate on CMS Response

Ohio Clinical Engineering Association — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:00:42 +0000

The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) is teaming up with the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) to explore potential solutions to a federal directive on maintenance schedules for medical equipment that has much of the healthcare technology management community up in arms.

AAMI and ASHE, a division of the American Hospital Association dedicated to facilities engineering, will bring stakeholders together to facilitate development of an evidence-based response to a memo from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The two groups will also partner with George Mills, head of The Joint Commission’s Engineering Department, to request a meeting with top CMS officials to discuss the issue.

“We want to have an exploratory discussion with CMS about the implications of the new clarification,” says John Collins, ASHE’s director of engineering and compliance.

The agency issued a memo on Dec. 2, 2011, to state survey directors on the the upkeep of medical devices. It says hospitals cannot stray from the manufacturer’s preventive maintenance (PM) recommendations for critical equipment. Adjustments to the PM interval for noncritical equipment are allowed provided they are “based upon a systematic, evidence-based assessment” that confirms the change won’t undermine patient and staff safety, and only if the facility has enough maintenance history on the device.

The memo was criticized by the healthcare technology management community, with many saying it will lead to more work hours and costs without additional benefit to the patient.

AAMI President Mary Logan says the collaboration can help convince CMS to consider alternatives.

“Although difficult to swallow, what CMS is doing is consistent with what is happening throughout healthcare: They are using an evidence-base approach to its requirements, ” she says. ”In order to be successful, the profession ultimately will need to use an evidence-based approach to show CMS a better way. In short, CMS is looking for a standard.

CLICK HERE To read the original of this AAMI News Brief.

CLICK HERE To read more about the reaction to the CMS announcement.

META Invites Your Participation

Ohio Clinical Engineering Association — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:00:28 +0000

Dear Friends, Colleagues, Educators, and Experts,

The Medical Equipment & Technology Association (META) would like to invite you all to participate in the forthcoming “The M.E.T.A. Scholar” educational newsletter. META has a committed 500+ members and we are asking for volunteers to submit articles and review submissions. If you already have a cool topic you enjoy then write about it and submit it to us. Additionally, if you do not have a topic or cannot think of one–we can gladly help you. If you would like to submit an article or become a reviewer please send me an email at elsupremo1@hotmail.com. Remember there is no “I” in Team “META” … everyone can make a huge impact on our community.

We have a really positive feeling about “The M.E.T.A Scholar”. You will enjoy reading it!!!

Warm regards,

Alberto Vasquez, Education Chairmen

Chris Correll, Education Co-Chairmen

CLICK HERE to go to the META Website.

Federal Board Seeks Comments

Ohio Clinical Engineering Association — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:00:22 +0000

On Proposed Accessibility Standards For Medical Equipment

A federal agency is seeking public comments on a series of draft standards aimed at making medical diagnostic equipment more accessible to people with disabilities.

The United States Access Board, which promotes accessible design of products, says it released the proposed document to “improve the quality of healthcare for individuals with disabilities, and ensure that they receive examinations, diagnostic procedures, and other healthcare services equal to those received by individuals without disabilities. The standards will facilitate independent transfers by individuals with disabilities onto and off of diagnostic equipment, and enable them to maintain their independence, confidence, and dignity.”

The standards, available for comment until June 8, address access to products such as:

- Examination tables and chairs
- Weight scales
- Mammography equipment

The board says in the draft document that it consulted AAMI’s comprehensive human factors standard, HE75, to create technical and design criteria for use by manufacturers.

The document, Proposed Accessibility Standards for Medical Diagnostic Equipment, doesn’t impose any mandatory requirements on healthcare providers or manufacturers. However, an agency such as the U.S. Department of Justice could compel a hospital or healthcare facility to acquire equipment that conforms to the standards, according to the board.

“Medical device manufacturers may have an economic incentive to produce accessible products that conform to the standards for healthcare providers who need to acquire accessible medical diagnostic equipment,” the board says.

Once the comment period closes, the board says it will create a panel of stakeholders to review the remarks and recommend how the standards should be finalized. The board is also known as the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.

CLICK HERE to read the original AAMI News Release.

CLICK HERE to read the draft standards.

The Future of Repair Parts? Make Them Yourself?

Ohio Clinical Engineering Association — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:00:57 +0000

What a great world we live in. Now we even have 3D printers. You may have heard of them. They use paper, ceramic, or metal and can actually build a 3D object! Read the amazing story below.

Are we going to do this for repair parts in the future?

3D Printers Now Print Human Body Parts

By Chris Brandrick, PCWorld – February 6, 2012 1:59 PM

An elderly woman is the first person in the World to be fitted with a 3D-printed body part–a new lower jaw.

According to the BBC, 83-year-old patient had long suffered from a badly infected lower jaw that was considered too risky to operate on by way of traditional methods. Due to the associated risks, doctors turned to 3D-printing as a viable alternative.

The solution came together through a collaboration between academics, doctors, scientists and engineers. The BIOMED Research Institute at the University of Hasselt worked with engineers from the Xios University College, the Medical Engineering department from the University of Leuven and the facial surgery team at the Orbis Medical Center.

These academics took their research to Netherlands-based Xilloc Medical, who created the design for the required lower jaw. With a design complete, it was over to Belgian-firm LayerWise to print it.

LayerWise built the jaw implant from titanium powder and a special artificial bone plasma coating, and it took only a few hours to print. LayerWise’s printer makes use of a laser beam to melt the layers of titanium together to ensure a solid end resuit.

The completed lower jaw implant weighs in at 107 grams, which is said to be slightly heavier than a natural jaw, but not so much that it’s uncomfortable for the patient. The operation to fit the printed jaw took surgeons just a few short hours, rather than the usual 20-plus hours that a traditional reconstruction procedure could take. The patient was at home speaking and eating within a matter of days after the surgery–an unusually quick recovery time for this type of operation.

The whole thing is rather impressive, if a little disconcerting. The team behind this world first say that this operation opens the way for more 3D-printed patient-required body parts.

CLICK HERE to view the original news story.

Contributed by:

Patrick Lynch, CCE, CBET
Biomedical Support Specialist
Global Medical Imaging, LLC
222 Rampart Street
Charlotte, North Carolina 28203
plynch@GMI3.com
http://www.gmi3.com/blog
http://www.gmi3.com

Patrick Lynch is a respected author of many articles for and about the field of Biomedical/Clinical Engineering and Healthcare Technology Management. These articles have been published in many trade journals, magazines, and on internet websites everywhere. He is a member, officer, advisor, and contributor to more then ten different biomedical societies and associations all across the country. He is a member of our OCEA Advisory Committee.

Introducing The New BiomedChatter.com

Ohio Clinical Engineering Association — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:00:25 +0000

First Draft Publishing, LLC is proud to announce the launch of BiomedChatter.com, an interactive social website for dedicated healthcare technology management professionals. BiomedChatter.com was started with the intention to bridge the gap between biomed associations across the country. BiomedChatter.com is a FREE service that provides the capability to create forum discussions, events, and share newsletters or other documents within an open or private group.

The Tech Zone area of the website will host a virtual vendor fair that will provide access to third party resources across the country. This will allow for strengthened relationships and additional resources for symposium and conference sessions in the future. There is an open chat room and private video chat sessions for additional real-time communication.

BiomedChatter.com Features:
- BC chat rooms for real-time communication
- Individual Blogs to discuss industry news
- Forums to share ideas and questions
- Personalized pages
- Private groups for resource sharing
- Virtual Vendor Fair to strengthen relationships while maximizing saving potential

Please feel free to invite your colleagues to “Join the Chatter!”

Sincerely,
Marcus C. Harris, CBET
System Admin

CLICK HERE to go to BiomedChatter.com.

9 Tips To Bring Order To Hospital Communications

Ohio Clinical Engineering Association — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:00:10 +0000

With the amount of information today’s healthcare technology generates, communications have become intricate webs of guesswork, unknown mobile devices, confusing schedules, and just too many systems going beep.

In this paper you’ll find nine tips to cope with this chaos and give it the order your patients and staff so desperately need.

CLICK HERE to answer questions and download.

ACCE Teleconference Thursday 2/16 @ 12 Noon EST

Ohio Clinical Engineering Association — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:00:44 +0000

Disaster Planning for Healthcare Technology

This program will cover the current best practices of disaster planning programs.

Presented by:
Frank R. Painter, MS, CCE
University of Connecticut

CLICK HERE to register.

The teleconference will be approximately one (1) hour long and typically will include a 45-50 minute presentation followed by 10-15 minutes of Q and A. Registrants will receive the call-in number and presentation material prior to the teleconference.

CLICK HERE to visit the ACCE Website Homepage.