Healthcare Technology Management
Core concepts
HTM spans the full lifecycle: selection, acquisition, acceptance testing, inventory, maintenance, and decommissioning. Understand the medical equipment inventory as the backbone - unique asset IDs, location, service history, and risk score. Know risk-based PM scheduling (e.g., using a scoring model that weighs function, physical risk, incident history, and manufacturer requirements) rather than fixed intervals for everything. Understand acceptance testing on arrival (verify against purchase spec, electrical safety, performance) and decommissioning (data sanitization, regulatory disposal, removal from inventory).
Traps
A frequent trap is treating manufacturer-recommended PM intervals as optional - deviations require documented rationale and risk assessment. Another is confusing acceptance testing (pre-use, new device) with incoming inspection (receipt check). Also watch for questions implying inventory can be updated "later"; the correct practice is real-time or near-real-time updates so the CMMS reflects reality.
Rule of thumb
If a device is involved in an adverse event, quarantine it, preserve settings and accessories, and document before any service action - evidence preservation precedes repair.
Worked example
A new patient monitor arrives. Acceptance testing confirms electrical safety, alarm function, and parameter accuracy against a simulator; the asset is then entered into the CMMS with a risk score and PM interval before being released to clinical use.