Assessment of Computerized Medical Equipment Management and Maintenance System From Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Perspective: Need and Approach

Joshi Nitin Kumar; Bhardwaj Pankaj; Singh Kuldeep; Joshi Vibha; Suthar Praveen

doi:10.18502/htaa.v4i2.6232

Joshi Nitin Kumar Department of Community Medicine and Family Medicine and Demonstrator, School of Public Health, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, India
Bhardwaj Pankaj Department of Community Medicine and Family Medicine and Coordinator, School of Public Health, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, India
Singh Kuldeep Department of Pediatrics, School of Public Health and Head and Professor, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, India
Joshi Vibha Resource Centre, Health Technology Assessment, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, India
Suthar Praveen School of Public Health, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, India

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/htaa.v4i2.6232

Keywords: HTA; CMMS; Medical Equipment; e-Health; Healthcare Sector

Abstract

Appropriate management of medical equipment is of crucial importance for providing quality healthcare. A computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) is a computerized program used by healthcare technology management (HTM) systems as an instrument for maintaining, organizing, storing, and reporting the data related to medical technologies in health facilities. Though CMMS is introduced as a beneficial and flexible tool for transforming the management of biomedical equipment, but no evidence of the same has been documented yet to highlight the efficacy of CMMS in the Indian context. CMMS, an e-Health system used by HTM programs, is a relatively new technology being adopted by various states of India. Such systems are vital to judging whether the system is operating and delivering the effects as desired. Assessment not only can inform policy-makers about what is known about the technology, but it also provides a better knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the intended technology. Health Technology assessment (HTA) is a systematic process designed to synthesize and evaluate the prevailing evidence for treatment or health delivery innovation. So considering the HTA perspective, an assessment approach to CMMS could be planned. Systematic reviews and empirical frameworks that have been used for understanding and assessing e-health programs can be used for evaluating technologies. Assessment of CMMS from a HTA perspective should be vital to the implementation of HTM systems by healthcare agencies.