31 hours ago · For the purposes of this Risk Analysis, there are two basic types of patient-supplied equipment—nonmedical and medical devices. Nonmedical devices are those that may be used for entertainment or for personal care (e.g., electronic devices, electric shavers). Medical devices are those that are part of a patient’s medical treatment or that ... >> Go To The Portal
ECRI recently issued a report cautioning risk managers about the risks of patient-owned equipment, featuring the results of a poll that found 84% of health care facilities allow patient-owned equipment to be used and 90% said they had a written policy in place. 1 But the results were not entirely reassuring.
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“ECRI’s report is a roadmap to help prioritize patient safety initiatives and allocate necessary resources that accelerates organizations in their total system approach to safety,” said Brigitta Mueller, MD, executive director of patient safety, risk and quality at ECRI.
Patients' requests for use of patient-supplied medical equipment and devices should be addressed on a case-by-case basis, unless the facility has implemented a blanket policy against their use.
The Medical Equipment Management Plan will be reviewed annually, and at any time during the year if needed, to provide a safe environment. B. For questions regarding the plan, or the Medical Equipment Management Subcommittee please call 772-2279. Title Environment of Care Master Plan
A. Ongoing monitoring of the services performed on clinical equipment will be the responsibility of the Environment of Care and University Safety Committees via the Medical Equipment Management Subcommittee. The items monitored are preventive maintenance, corrective maintenance, consultations requested and user errors reported.
Allowing the use of patient-supplied equipment may place the hospital at risk of liability because the facility has never had control over the equipment's use or evidence of its proper maintenance, repair, or storage.
Establish a standard release/waiver of liability for patient-supplied medical devices and equipment prepared by or in coordination with legal counsel. The waiver should include, at minimum, a statement that the patient understands and accepts that hospital-performed device inspection of the patient-supplied medical device is not a warranty ...
When a hospital allows the use of patient-supplied equipment , it may also assume legal responsibility for the equipment's performance and safety. In some states, such legal duty may not be waived under state law. Another consideration is accreditation requirements.
Policy should require that the discussion be documented. The recommendations contained in Ask HRC do not constitute legal advice. Facilities should consult legal counsel for specific guidance and develop clinical guidance in consultation with their clinical staff.