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The Roundtable: Patient Monitoring Equipment

This month, TechNation asks the experts about purchasing and maintaining patient monitoring equipment. Responders address issues ranging from finding equipment and parts to IT connectivity and alarm management. They include Mike Balakonis, president

Wed Mar 28 2012By TechNation Magazine

April 1, 2012

 

This month, TechNation asks the experts about purchasing and maintaining patient monitoring equipment. Responders address issues ranging from finding equipment and parts to IT connectivity and alarm management. They include Mike Balakonis, president of patient monitoring supplier and repair company MedEquip Biomedical; a team of patient monitoring experts from Covidien, a manufacturer of the equipment; and Michele Shahbandeh, president of Integrity Biomedical, a third-party equipment and service provider.

 

 

TechNation:What are the biggest trends right now in the patient monitoring equipment market?

 

Balakonis:I see more and more wireless being integrated, and all patient monitors will be manufactured with the capability oftying into a hospital’s IT system.

 

Covidien:Patient monitoring is evolving to provide a more complete assessment of patient status. For example, innovative patient monitoring platforms can potentially improve a clinician’s ability to continuously monitor respiration rate.  These advancements present a holistic view of respiratory status and may help care teams identify and treat deteriorating patients earlier. Evidence shows respiration rate is one of the most important indicators of major adverse events[1] and in-hospital mortality[2] on the general care floor.

 

Addressing alarm fatigue also is a high priority for the health care industry. Solutions include hub and remote monitoring systems that allow clinicians to observe patient data from a central location or on the care floor using a pager. Some new monitors include a sophisticated alarm management system that measures oxygen desaturation rate, severity, frequency and duration to detect patterns of repetitive airflow reductions.  Manufacturers also are designing technologies that pinpoint significant clinical events so clinicians can respond to alarms appropriately.

 

Shahbandeh:All the manufacturers provide the same parameters; it comes down to the price, warranty and service.

 

TechNation:How will the market for patient monitoring equipment evolve in the next five years? How will that affect service of the equipment?

Balakonis:I think OEMs will adopt a more licensed software approach, possibly allowing hospitals to choose any PC as the mainframe for a patient monitor, leaving just the front-end human interface and software as proprietary. The effect it will have on service providers is that better PC and IT skills will have to be learned.

 

Covidien:The use of continuous patient monitoring has evolved from the operating room, emergency room and intensive care unit to the general care floor and other lower acuity areas of the hospital. With continuing technological advancements, more procedures will be performed safely in an ambulatory care setting. As a result, manufacturers may see a growing demand for patient monitoring products, training and service. To meet this demand, companies will need educated and qualified technicians who can offer both in-hospital and remote technical support. 

 

Covidien has experienced support teams that work quickly and diligently to return products to their original manufacturing specifications. Our teams continually strive to improve our products.They give prompt feedback to our engineering and quality teams that use the information to enhance both product performance and clinical outcomes.

 

Shahbandeh:Hospitals are holding onto capital equipment. Internal electronic technology changes fast, and service providers need an ally in finding those hard-to-find parts. Find a service company that will help you maintain and provide those parts.

 

TechNation:What are some of the biggest challenges of purchasing and servicing patient monitoring equipment today?

To read the complete article in April's issue of TechNation click here.

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