Assessing Equipment, Supplies, and Devices for Patient Safety Issues

Background: Medical equipment, supplies, and devices (ESD) serve a critical function in healthcare delivery how they can have patient safety consequences. ESD-related issues include malfunctions, physically missing ESDs, sterilization, usability. Describing from human factors perspective that focuses on user interactions with ESDs provide additional insights to address these issues. Methods: We manually reviewed ESD event reports submitted the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System identify using taxonomy was informed by Food Drug Administration Manufacturer User Facility Device Experience taxonomy. This consisted of following high-level categories: missing, The type associated components or subtypes, classification, care area group were noted for each report. Results: Of 450 reviewed, most frequent issue coded malfunction (n=365 450, 81.1%) followed sterilization (n=40 8.9%), usability (n=36 8.0%), (n=9 2.0%). Among software/output problem (n=122 365, 33.4%) frequent, general (n=103 28.2%); material integrity (n=72 19.7%); activation, positioning, separation (n=68 18.6%). infusion pump, instrument set, intravenous, components/subtypes alarm/alert, tubing, tray. Conclusion: issues, especially impact despite current policies practices Healthcare facilities may be able some during procurement through use accompanying assessment tool.