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District nebuliser compressor service: reliability and costs
M E Dodd1, S P Hanley, S C Johnson
1Department of Chest Diseases, Monsall Hospital, Manchester, UK.
Thorax
|January 1, 1995
Summary
Maintaining district nebuliser compressor services is most economical with a repair-and-replace policy. However, evolving safety legislation may impact future service provision and costs for these essential medical devices.
Area of Science:
- Medical Engineering
- Health Service Management
Background:
- Limited data exists on the operational and maintenance expenses associated with district nebuliser compressor services.
- Electrical compressors are crucial for nebuliser therapy, necessitating an understanding of their lifecycle costs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the issue, reliability, and maintenance expenditures of electrical compressors.
- To forecast future costs considering recent safety regulations and their potential impact on service provision.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective review of compressor records from 1982-1991, including issue, repair, and replacement data.
- Evaluation of the current repair-and-replace policy against three alternative theoretical costing models.
Main Results:
- An increasing trend in the number of compressors being issued was observed.
- Repaired compressors demonstrated reduced reliability, with repair frequency correlated to compressor age.
- The current policy of repairing and replacing as needed was identified as the most cost-effective approach.
Conclusions:
- The current policy of repairing and replacing nebuliser compressors as necessary is the most economical option given current manufacturer terms.
- Anticipated changes in safety legislation are likely to influence the future provision and cost-effectiveness of these services.