When the words “healthcare infrastructure” are mentioned, oftentimes elements such as licensed healthcare professionals, clinical support personnel, policies & procedures, etc., come to mind. While these are critical elements to the infrastructure of healthcare, we must also remember the critical role that equipment plays in not only healthcare infrastructure, but also in quality outcomes of healthcare.  

Case in point, COVID-19 displayed a harsh, yet honest reality of healthcare systems and the “reliability” of their equipment. Some of the challenges ranged from inability to perform the needed tasks, equipment not operating at maximum capacity due to lack of maintenance, and/or incompatible equipment to fulfill the needs of the organization.

The areas of opportunity above highlight the importance of investigating the long-term negative outcomes associated with acquiring ineffective healthcare equipment. It emphasizes the significance of choosing outcomes-driven healthcare partners dedicated to delivering quality patient care.

1. Downtime

When healthcare equipment doesn’t function properly or isn’t maintained by professionals, the result can be as simple as a 5-minute delay in scheduling or as serious as a system crash and/or failure, which leads to downtime. Downtime is basically the time when equipment cannot be used or isn’t accessible, which has a negative influence on productivity as well as patient care, both resulting in poor healthcare outcomes. Read more >