How can Clinical Asset Management Help Overcome Supply Shortage

If done properly, clinical asset management can save costs, stop cyberattacks, and assist in times of need.

Fremont, CA: Clinical asset management currently goes beyond just recording inventories in the healthcare sector. In order to give a thorough, continuous evaluation, next-generation technologies track, manage and repair clinical equipment in real-time. These sophisticated software tools offer a comprehensive approach to clinical asset management, taking into account the amount of medical equipment a facility has, how much it uses, its condition right now, and any risks it might pose, such as those associated with FDA recalls or network vulnerabilities that cybercriminals could exploit.

Numerous data points, like the date of manufacture, service history, cybersecurity data, OEM support, and downtime, do much more than only serve as current benchmarks. If they are gathered and assessed properly, they can offer insightful information. For example, the following assessments might predict urgent demands, particularly during a pandemic, and direct budgetary choices about procurement and reallocation. They may also contribute to better patient care and clinician fulfillment.

Clinical Asset Management Can Help With Supply Shortages.

The COVID-19 pandemic's ventilator shortage demonstrated how crucial clinical asset management is to healthcare delivery. It also gave useful lessons for the future.

According to a Harvard Business Review article published in April 2020, resolving supply constraints requires a precise and thorough equipment inventory that is regularly updated. 

The business administration and health experts who published the study said that anticipating the next system bottleneck is necessary to avoid supply shortages and that doing so requires precise data on inventory that is now accessible. Software for clinical asset management (CAM) offers those specifics.

Information on what technology is available and where it is also needed when pooling resources to make them available to other institutions in the network, such as ventilators. According to the authors, "poor information may make shortages worse. Good information cannot suddenly make shortages of actual things go away." Lack of knowledge breeds uncertainty and might motivate stockpiling "just in case."

CAM solutions provide the freedom to take on the situation head-on amid a public health catastrophe. Each piece of equipment used to treat COVID-19 can be marked with a critical response indication during a pandemic to prioritize the requirement for that equipment over other equipment. To help with planning and preparedness, COVID-19 case patterns may get spatially tracked against repairs and inventory. When components are scarce, it is easier to identify the necessary parts for repairs, which speeds up the search for substitute suppliers.

The current generation of clinical asset management systems helps to prevent supply shortages, reduces the danger of cyberattacks, and distributes important funds where they are most needed. In addition, it enhances patient care while saving healthcare professionals time.