The How-To Of Learning How To Use New Medical Equipment

So you’ve decided to purchase a new or new-to-you piece of medical equipment, and you have it installed. Your next hurdle is getting your staff trained in using the medical equipment.

There are three primary ways for staff to learn how to work new equipment or instrumentation: through the vendor, through training by experienced personnel, or through self-tutorial. Which choice is best for you is as much a factor of the instrument or medical equipment itself as the nature of your practice.

To determine which of these ways will be optimal for your particular situation, find out if training is addressed in the warranty for your equipment or instrumentation. If it is, and chances are it will be for new equipment, training decisions have already been made for you; your job is now to follow those directives to the letter. Oddly enough, this type of training can be the least expensive, because the training, including the expenses for travel to the corporate headquarters of the manufacturer for that training, is typically included in the purchase price of your new equipment.

If you have a machine that has no warranty, or you have a machine that is very simple to operate, already experienced staff can train other staff in proper use of the equipment. The key difference here is that in this kind of knowledge exchange, you may obtain perfectly fine operational skills, but you will not receive any kind of certification. If a manufacturer trains you to use their equipment, you usually receive a statement of certification from the manufacturer. Your question here is then whether or not certification is required by law or another rule making body. Does your profession require certification? If so, what kind, or how much? The answer to these questions will vary depending on the nature of your practice and the equipment being used.

The last category is self-tutorial. In this instance your staff will study all available documentation and manuals for the equipment in question. Manuals and documentation are generally available through the manufacturer, often at no cost through the manufacturer’s website. Self-tutorial is an effective educational and training option only for simple medical equipment and experienced staff.

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