Internally developed medical equipment management system: a viable alternative

A medical equipment management computer system, internally developed by Rhode Island Hospital, is presented. Hospital biomedical engineering departments must contend with ever-increasing regulatory requirements for patient-care equipment. Computerization is a viable solution to meeting the documentation standards dictated by healthcare governing bodies. Rhode Island Hospital's system consists of a Macintosh computer, Panorama database software, and Psion LZ64 Organiser handheld computer. Files were set up on equipment data, JCAHO-required historical documentation, service, inspections, part codes and locations, and vendor contact information. Technician inspection data recording time was reduced by approximately 30%.