Characterization and Maintenance of Hospital Equipment: A Case Study on the Institute of Molecular Medicine Jo˜ao Lobo Antunes

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to conduct a study on the characterization and maintenance of equipment in a hospital environment and apply it in the case study conducted as part of an internship at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes (iMM), with a duration of eleven months. This work contributed to the identification of improvements to be applied in the Safety and Compliance Department, in the maintenance, calibration, and monitoring of medical-hospital equipment (MHE), to improve their reliability and efficiency, the reduction of costs and downtime, and the probability risk to the patient, engineer, or user associated with the equipment. Materials and Methods: This is an MHE study of the iMM, also monitoring the maintenance and calibration of different equipment by technicians and engineers responsible internally and externally. Discussion and Practical Results: A maintenance software for the iMM was chosen to help the institute to have all the equipment information in a more organized way. Monitoring of some iMM equipment was conducted. Conclusion: It was found that the safety of patients, engineers, or users who manage MHE is an extremely principal factor. For this factor not to be harmed, constant monitoring, maintenance, and calibration of the equipment are necessary, ensuring the safety of the user and their proper functioning.