Medical supplies play a very significant role in helping cure the
illnesses of the people who seek help from medical staff in hospitals. That is
why it is critical for these parts to be well taken care of to make sure that
they work perfectly each and every time. The accuracy of these devices play a
huge part in the correct diagnosis or treatment of these illnesses. Even if you
are not a UCAT (UKCAT) courses graduate, you would know that its failure could lead to mistake in such very
important processes and could lead to mistakes and errors in diagnosis and
treatments. With cases of medical malpractice on the rise, it is just timely
that hospitals really do everything that they can to prevent these unfortunate
incidents from happening.
The Cost of Medical supplies that Hospitals Pay
In the UK, hospitals, clinics, and other
medical facilities spend millions of dollars in investing on quality medical
supplies and equipment. However, despite the staggering amount of money being
spent on these items, there are instances when these items fail that cause
doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and other medical professionals. Given
the amount that hospitals dedicate to keep these supplies’ perfect condition,
why do these fail and what causes these failures? From contamination to
improper clinical waste disposal, there are various reasons why medical
supplies fail.
Different Causes of Medical Device/Supplies Failure
A directory for pre-qualified suppliers came up with a study of what
has been causing the failure of medical devices/supplies in hospitals.
• Contamination. During the use of equipment, there’s a great
possibility for chemical attacks or foreign substances can get into the
equipment. Such things can make a device work improperly or worse, get
completely broken. This shouldn’t really be a problem though as simple yet
strict housekeeping can help prevent such events that can extend the service
lives of such equipment.
• Failure of quality control. Some devices have plastic components
that are made and molded before it is finally assembled. Sadly, there’s a real
chance of these plastic parts to have defects that may cause the failure of
such equipment. In such instances the hospitals can sue the makers of the
equipment as product liability laws hold these companies accountable for their
negligence over these product defects. However, hospitals and the users of
these devices must check it thoroughly to catch these problems to help avoid
wrong diagnosis or prevent medical malpractice claims.
• Poor product design. There are products that are doomed to fail
from the start. Poor product design and development can cause these problems.
Here, product liability claims can also be invoked against the suppliers and
makers of these devices.
• Improper choice of materials/equipment. Though hospitals have experts that study the
choice and purchase of the equipment that they have, some commit mistakes with
their choices. This leads to the purchase and use of the wrong equipment or its
premature failure.
• Overuse. Machines have limitations too. Even though these products
are made to perform such tasks, proper maintenance and care are also needed to
ensure that these devices work well and don’t fail. Also, avoid over using and
abusing the equipment to prevent failure.
• Improper handling. Certain medical supplies like sharps require
proper and effective handling otherwise they can cause spreading of illnesses
among workers and patients alike. This is why systematic clinical waste
disposal is extremely necessary in any healthcare workplace.
Since there is much responsibility over the medical practitioners
and the management of these facilities, it is imperative that a hospital uses
the right devices that work properly. So when you take up UCAT (UKCAT) courses,
make sure that you study everything that your instructors tell you. Because
these causes of medical supply and device failure are avoidable, the patients
expect nothing less from these hospitals but to ensure the safety of everybody.
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