Management of Medical Technology □ Implementation Issues

Abstract

Medical technology in Australian public hospitals has a replacement cost of approximately A$3 billion. The management of this invaluable asset suggests the need for a planning framework to facilitate equipment replacement and acquisition decisions, an accurate inventory of technology assets, and an implementation process to enable prioritisation and the allocation of funds. The authors report on work associated with the initial phases of planning process development and identify issues that need to be resolved in relation to the implementation phase.

Managing Medical Technology in Australia's Health Care Systems - Planning, Prioritisation and Procurement

“…A medical equipment management plan provides a means to control the state of the equipment stock across the organisation, so that service needs are adequately met and costs are managed [8], [9]. This work needs to be ongoing, and provides a governance framework to ensure service commitments are met.…”

“…Some States use a high level of centralisation, while others use a more decentralised approach in which health service boards of management are responsible for service planning and for day to day operations. These stakeholders and equipment levels by hospital department and equipment type have been discussed previously [9].…”