Testing Devices Critical Part of Improving Patient Safety
A look behind ECRI’s top ten list, Solving Technology Hazards in HospitalsNon-profit organization ECRI Institute is well known for its annual Top 10 Health Technology Hazards List. However, ECRI offers a myriad of services to the broader healthcare industry, from healthcare facilities to nurses and physicians to medical device companies (which ECRI calls “suppliers”). With the objective of improving patient care, the institute tests medical devices to evaluate potential hazards and human factors issues that could be present in a real-world setting. Basically, the organization looks at the claims a company makes about a device and then tests the product against these claims. During the evaluation, engineers rate device performance, safety, workflow, both patient and user experience, interoperability, maintenance, feedback and cost of ownership. The following video is an example of how ECRI tests medical products, in this case assessing a CPR feedback device.
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