Medical Equipment Maintenance Cost Analysis

Maintenance Cost Comparison

• There are three main medical equipment maintenance scenarios: contracted-out maintenance, in-house maintenance, and no maintenance.
• The study focuses on comparing contracted-out maintenance versus no maintenance.
• Researchers calculated cost using a model with fixed and operating costs over a three-year period.
• Fixed costs include establishing a central administrative unit and either building in-house workshops or setting up the contracted-out scheme.
• Operating costs include central maintenance system management, device replacements, maintenance, and downtime.
• Researchers used a discount rate of 5% to calculate net present value.

Downtime Calculation

• Downtime is defined as the number of days a device is unavailable for services due to technical defects.
• Downtime is calculated from the time between a corrective maintenance request and task completion.
• Researchers added 15% of the time between a corrective maintenance job request and the equipment's last inspection as additional downtime.
• Downtime from the year before the maintenance pilot was used as a benchmark for downtime under no maintenance.

Costs in Nepali Hospitals

• Nepal's contracted-out maintenance scheme requires an initial investment of 670,288 I$ PPP for infrastructure.
• After three years, operational maintenance costs amount to 493,762 I$ PPP (11% of total cost).
• In-house maintenance includes building a workshop and equipping it with tools, costing about 799,855 I$ PPP.
• Maintenance cost for in-house maintenance includes staff and hardware costing about 474,205 I$ PPP.
• Costs for no maintenance and contracted-out maintenance are 264,675 IPPPand236,925I PPP and 236,925 IPPPand236,925I PPP, respectively.

Contracted Maintenance vs. No Maintenance Over Time

• The cost comparison over a ten-year period shows that no maintenance is initially cheaper than contracted-out maintenance.
• However, over a ten-year period, contracted-out maintenance becomes more cost-effective due to reduced downtime.
• Contracted-out maintenance effectively reduces downtime cost compared to no maintenance.
• Although downtime cost represents less than 2% of total cost, it is a significant factor for improving healthcare quality and reducing treatment risks.

Limitations of the Study

• The study relies heavily on data from management information systems.
• The study's scope is limited to the pilot catchment area in Nepal, which covers only seven million people.
• Researchers acknowledge the potential for data quality issues.
• The study's findings may not be easily generalizable to other locations.

Importance of the Study

• Provides a comprehensive cost comparison of medical equipment maintenance scenarios in Nepal.
• Emphasizes the importance of downtime reduction to improve healthcare quality and reduce treatment risks.
• Offers valuable insights for health systems planners in prioritizing equipment management strategies.

This quiz explores the comparison of maintenance costs for medical equipment, focusing on contracted-out maintenance versus no maintenance. It examines fixed and operating costs over a three-year period and includes the calculation of downtime for devices. Test your understanding of the key concepts and data used in this research study.