A Method for the Continuity of Technology

In healthcare the importance of clinical continuity is essential for both patients life and health organization activity. Since technology continuity is having more and more importance for the service continuity, a correct management of medical devices must be guided by criteria that ensure its safe, appropriate and economical use. The main steps for achieving this goal include a well planned purchase, appropriate preventive and corrective maintenance of equipment. From these considerations it is not possible to determine the potentially harmful aspects of the use of a device simply by observing the intrinsic characteristics, but it is necessary to evaluate the whole process in which the device is used especially for those clinical areas where technology is vital for patient life such as intensive care units or operating theatres where the continuity of the service coincides with the continuity of technological functionality. The priority is to minimize the downtime of the device and time of intervention, which is essential for planning suppliers’ assistance services, internal organization and hospital procedures. This paper proposes an innovative methodology which is able to provide technological and procedural actions which offer support to decision makers in technology management regarding the implementation of continuity in medical services and response to technology failures and emergency events. Keywords— technology continuity, healthcare management, safety procedures, healthcare continuity.