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PP137 Regional Process For Planning Medical Equipment Procurement In Italy
- Mario Fregonara Medici, Stefania Bellelli, Luciano Villarboito, Michela Pepe
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- Journal:
- International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care / Volume 33 / Issue S1 / 2017
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 12 January 2018, p. 135
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INTRODUCTION:
An appropriate governance of the installed equipment base, by defining replacements strategies and programming introductions of innovative Biomedical Technologies (BT), has direct effects on the efficiency and effectiveness of health systems. An effective health technology management is of paramount importance for providing safe, high quality and innovative care with the constraint of health-care budgets, safeguarding equity, access and choice principles. Data from the regional BT information flow show that, compared to the gold standard (1), the North Region of Italy has about 15 percent less of large medical equipment younger than 5 years and about 15 percent more of equipment older than 10 years.
METHODS:In order to draw a unified path of BT procurement processes, in 2013 and 2014 regional regulations (2,3) were enacted. Each Public Hospital and Local Health Authorities (ASRs) defined a plan (PLTB) containing, regardless of the form of procurement and type of funding, all BT requests for a value greater than EUR40,000 distinguished in replacement/new acquisition/upgrade, innovative acquisition and donations. Requests of BT have to obtain the authorization by the Regional Healthcare Authority Commission (GTB), in compliance with defined criteria, including financial and sustainability aspects, after the evaluation of the Regional Clinical Engineering Commission (GIC) supported by IRES, Health Technology Assessment and Management research group.
RESULTS:Over the years 2014 and 2015, the ASRs submitted 491 BT requests, of which 87 percent were replacement/new acquisition/upgrade, 9 percent innovative acquisition and 4 percent donations. Altogether 26 percent of these instances were urgent and 2 percent were unique BT on the market. Sixteen percent of requests for replacement/new acquisition/upgrade of BT related to large medical equipment with mean age of 13.3 years, 2 percent regarded innovative BT with average age of 8.4 years and 48 percent widespread technologies with mean age of 15.6 years.
CONCLUSIONS:The limitations in investments deriving from being a Region in “Recovery Plan”, have originated an absence of BT programming, as shown in PLTB by the prevalence of requests for the replacement management of obsolete equipment with inadequate performance, high machine downtimes and elevated maintenance costs.
VP96 Information Flow As Base For Planning Biomedical Technologies In Italy
- Mario Fregonara Medici, Stefania Bellelli, Michela Pepe
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- Journal:
- International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care / Volume 33 / Issue S1 / 2017
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 12 January 2018, pp. 193-194
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- Article
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- You have access Access
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INTRODUCTION:
An effective installed medical equipment base management requires an information flow of Biomedical Technologies (BT) providing a common and standardized methodology for data collection and inventories management, representing the knowledge base for the BT assessment and procurement planning.
METHODS:In a North Region of Italy a standardized methodology for BT regional codification has been defined to univocally identify BT, by classifying health fields and specialities, technological classes, models and manufacturers. Since 2012, an information flow of BT, named FITeB, allows to monitor and follow-up large medical equipment (LME), innovative equipment (IE) and widespread technologies (WT) set up in public settings, through biannual equipment census (1,2). Data about classification, identification, location, age, operating status, way of acquisition, economic value and maintenance have been analytically collected for LME and IE. LME data have been integrated with the information flow for public funding management allocated to regional healthcare buildings through other procedure. The number and economic value of WT have been collected. FITeB data have been used for the Regional planning procedure for medical equipment procurement (3).
RESULTS:The distribution of BT, their age profile, technological burden and innovative components as well as the overall economic value, have been estimated with FITeB. In 2016, information about 341 LME was collected; LME mean age was 7.4 years with a value of EUR248,353,000. The 293 IE were set up with mean age of 5.9 years and an overall economic value of EUR20,167,000. The WT amounted to 45,263 equipment with a value of EUR843,353,000. Over the years 2014 and 2015, the Public Hospitals and Local Health Authorities (ASRs) submitted 491 BT requests, of which 87 percent were replacement/new acquisition/upgrade, 9 percent innovative acquisition and 4 percent donations.
CONCLUSIONS:Critical issues can be identified from FITeB indicators representing the basis for BT procurements assessment and definition of strategies of replacement, introduction or relocation of medical equipments in the Region. An integrated information flow, as the case of FITeB, is an useful knowledge tool for appropriate governance, planning and management of BT.
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