The document discusses trends affecting general biomedical equipment repair service demands. It notes that the average number of medical devices per bed has increased from 5 to over 13 since 1997. This has increased both the complexity of patient care and biomedical departments' repair workloads. Biomedical technicians are now responsible for up to 1,200 devices each but only spend 60% of their time on repairs due to additional responsibilities like vendor management and searching for non-broken equipment. The trends are forcing biomedical departments to rethink their repair strategies to improve productivity with their current resources.

2. Trends Impacting General Biomedical Equipment Repair Service Demands
| ERS Medical
Biomedical technicians are now responsible for more equipment than ever before. This responsibility and other
related challenges are complicating general biomedical equipment repair service demands. In 1997, Skynet – as
introduced in the Terminator films – became self-aware. The outcome would forever change the world as Sarah
Connor knew it.
However in reality, we aren’t currently ruled by sentient robots, but in looking back at 1997, the use of medical
technology has changed. At the time, the average number of medical devices per bed was five. Today, that number is
over 13. Not only has this increased the complexity of delivering patient care, but many clinical engineering
departments now face a rapidly-increasing general biomedical equipment repair service workload.

3. In fact, today’s average general biomedical equipment repair service providing
technicians are now responsible for up to 1,200 devices. That workload is
complicated by evolving regulatory standards, an increase in third-party service
partnerships and the growth of software-enabled technbology. Not to mention
the rise in device connectivity and associated IT security challenges. All of which
is pushing clinical enginnering teams to rethink their equipment service
strategies.
Make no mistake, the medical machines have risen, and they are here to stay for
a long time. What does this mean for your biomedical team? In working with
thousands of hospitals across the country, ERS Medical has uncovered some of
the key trends that impacts the general biomedical equipment repair service in
the long run.

4. Trends Affecting General Biomedical Equipment Repair Service
Trend #1: General Biomedical Equipment Repair Service Costs Increasing Time to Time
Today’s general biomedical equipment
devices are increasingly more complex.
This complexity requires more training
and certification to service proficiently.
From smart sensors to medical device
integration, biomed departments also
find themselves responding to the
Internet of Things by focusing on IT
security, software management, and
technology planning. Along with the rise
of medical devices, equipment service,
management, and administrative
responsibilities have doubled
maintenance costs.
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5. Increases in technology and cost are relatively easy to understand. What’s more difficult to
understand is why most biomedical departments have not expanded to meet this growing need –
especially considering they are now tasked to manage a network of interconnected devices that
require frequent software upgrades and take longer to service. Instead, general biomedical
equipment repair service technicians are asked to do more with less. In fact, clinical engineering
departments often must balance shifting priorities on a day-to-day basis. These include:
• Increasing technician service productivity through management of non-technical time,
maintaining appropriate staffing, sourcing and retaining qualified technicians.
• Increasing equipment uptime
• Ensuring service compliance and regulatory documentation
Without the appropriate resources to service equipment efficiently and cost-effectively, the general
biomedical equipment repair service providers are fighting a losing battle.

6. Trend #2: General Biomedical Equipment Repair Accounts for Only 60% of Technician Time
Staying up to date on the general biomedical equipment repair and maintenance requirements of a hospital’s
inventory is extremely challenging, especially when so much of a biomedical technician’s time is not spent on
achieving that goal. Through conversations with general biomedical equipment repair departments nationwide, ERS
Medical has discovered two leading culprits that impact technician productivity which are vendor management and
time spent searching for equipment.
Trend #3: 50% of All Broken Biomedical Equipment Isn’t Really Broken
Nationwide, we’ve seen the same issue time and again. Upon inspection, half of all general biomedical equipment
sent down to engineering departments for repair and replacement are found to be functional. How is this possible?
Because clinicians don’t have time to verify or troubleshoot equipment. So, when it appears not to work, they
send it down to the experts. Thus, time spend evaluating fully functional equipment takes away from other service
priorities, which can lead to increased equipment downtime.

7. So, Why Not Train the Nurses in Healthcare?
Because it’s not their job. Clinicians should be focused on patient care but also because increasing device
sophistication is making it difficult for clinical teams to stay up to date on their equipment’s buttonology, alarming
and functionality. As a result, a potentially easy-to-resolve error code turns into a service request for the biomedical
team. Leaving one less device for caregivers to access for patient care. While biomed teams do their best to ensure
that nurses get the equipment training they need – whether through the OEM, themselves or another vendor – it is
yet another task on a biomedical department’s ever-growing to-do list.
The Future Outlook: Your Next Steps in General Biomedical Equipment Repair
True, these trends may not be ushering in a world controlled by Skynet and the machines. Yet, they are indicative of
a changing environment that is forcing general biomedical equipment repair specialists to do more. The problem is,
without extra resources or a new approach to managing service on growing inventories of interconnected medical
devices, general biomedical equipment repair teams end up spending more time on lower-end equipment instead of
the higher-end, higher value equipment that is vital to driving hospital revenue.

8. At ERS Medical, we have seen healthcare facilities succeed through partnerships that adjust their general
biomedical equipment repair service delivery strategy to accommodate the increased volume and complexity of
work expected from clinical engineering teams. With a range of skilled technical talent available across the country
and partnerships with leading manufacturers, ERS Medical helps hospitals access the right resources to reduce
service costs. This includes prividing flexible access to expert, qualified general biomedical equipment repair
technicians to provide preventive maintenance and repairs on-demand across a range of modalities.

9. ContactDetails
TonyMcDaniel
IndependentContractor/Consultantat ERSMedical
Address:152SheaCt.TracyCA.95377
Phone& Fax:1-209-879-9778
Email: tonymcdaniel@ersmedical.com
Website:www.ersmedical.com

10. THANKYOU