Healthcare Technology Management Operations
Core concepts
Operations questions test whether you can run a program, not just repair a device. Know the difference between corrective maintenance (unscheduled repair), preventive maintenance (scheduled, procedure-based), and inspection/testing activities. The CMMS is the system of record: every device needs a unique ID, location, cost center, risk ranking, and documented maintenance strategy. Risk-based PM intervals should trace to a deliberate method - manufacturer recommendations, published guidance from AAMI/ECRI, or an internal risk-scoring scheme - never to habit or to whatever the last vendor did.
Track the metrics honestly: PM completion rate, PM on-time rate, mean time to repair, first-call fix rate, uptime, backlog, and cost per modality. Exam items exploit confusion between these denominators, so read what is actually being asked.
Traps
- Believing a standard requires 100% PM completion on every device. Regulators require a documented policy that is actually followed; life-support and high-risk equipment get the tightest control.
- Forgetting that outsourced service contracts still need your oversight: scope, invoices, PM evidence, and change control.
- Treating inventory accuracy as an IT housekeeping issue. It is a safety and capital-planning issue.
Worked example and rule of thumb
PM completion for a month = (PMs completed on time ÷ PMs scheduled that month) × 100. If 380 of 400 scheduled PMs were completed on time, that is 95%. A common internal target is at least 95% overall, with 100% for life-support and critical devices. Watch the trap: if 20 PMs were completed late but within the month, completion rate may read 100% while on-time rate reads 95% - state which metric the question wants.
Key ideas
Match the maintenance strategy to device risk, keep CMMS data clean, and be able to explain every metric's numerator and denominator.