Scheduled inspection of electromedical equipment. Planning and assessment

Scheduled inspections help ensure the safety and efficacy of medical equipment. To ensure the regular checking of all items we developed a practical and realizable protocol consisting of basic safety and functional tests. Non-productive time spent searching for equipment was reduced enlisting the help of ward staff. Record keeping was simplified using monthly checklists detailing the tests to be performed. Clear labels distinguished items checked and the ward was informed about missing items. The effectiveness of the programme was assessed by auditing the number of items due for inspection, the average time per inspection, the number of faults found, and the incidence of breakdown repairs. The average inspection time per item was reduced to half an hour and the number of items due for inspection to below 10%. The programme was effective in fault detection (7% of items checked) and the incidence of breakdown repairs decreased from 75 to 53%.