In healthcare, hospital infrastructure plays a crucial role, not only in ensuring the efficiency of daily operations, but also in protecting valuable equipment and, most importantly, in safeguarding the lives of patients.
A recent case study conducted by Above-Net in the medical field powerfully illustrates the risks associated with a lack of adequate monitoring of expensive equipment that significantly impacts operations, initially focused only on basic temperature and humidity control. This highlights the critical need to implement efficient, proactive solutions.
The Challenge Faced
The case in question involves a hospital that suffered significant losses due to damage to a hemodynamics unit, a vital area that diagnoses and treats cardiological, neurological, and endovascular conditions, using high-value imaging equipment. The cause of the defect was identified as excessive humidity in the room, which condensed on the equipment's circuit board, resulting in a short circuit. The failure was not covered by the warranty, as it was considered a violation of normal operating conditions, resulting in an estimated repair cost of R$140,000.
The Smart Monitoring Solution
This direct financial loss, while substantial, does not capture the full impact of the situation. The damaged equipment was out of service, resulting in the inability to perform vital tests, directly impacting the hospital's revenue and, more seriously, patient care. The root of the problem? The lack of a critical environmental monitoring system capable of controlling room temperature and humidity, something easily implemented with current Internet of Things (IoT) technology.
To solve this problem, Above-Net developed Bridgemeter, an intelligent solution for monitoring hospital infrastructure. Bridgemeter is a platform that uses sensors, devices, and software to monitor critical variables of each infrastructure piece of equipment, such as temperature, humidity, voltage, current, pressure, and more. It uses combined rules to perform predictive analysis, identifying trends, patterns, and anomalies, and suggesting preventive or corrective actions.
Bridgemeter allows managers and technicians to access real-time information via computers or mobile apps, including dashboards, graphs, logs, alarms, and notifications. The platform also triggers automatic notifications for maintenance team intervention before the failure becomes irreversible. Some examples of equipment that can be monitored by Bridgemeter are:
Compressors: The compressor is a highly demanding piece of equipment that operates 24 hours a day with an estimated lifespan of 30,000 hours. It is responsible for cooling the helium gas used in imaging equipment. Bridgemeter monitors the compressor's voltage, current, humidity, water temperature, and pressure to ensure optimal operating conditions.
Chillers: The "heart" of the MRI. They must maintain a temperature between 8°C and 10°C. Chillers are typically installed in inaccessible areas, making them difficult to monitor. With Bridgemeter, you can monitor the temperature and condition of the chiller filters. If any degradation is detected that impacts operations, Bridgemeter sends alarms and tasks to schedule maintenance.
The ROI of Prevention
The case highlights the importance and value of investing in infrastructure monitoring systems. Implementing Bridgemeter is not just a preventative measure to protect valuable equipment; it is a financially sound strategy. The cost associated with monitoring is low compared to the repair costs, lost revenue, and potentially the loss of human life due to non-operational equipment. Furthermore, it highlights that an intelligent, integrated monitoring system can offer a rapid return on investment, safeguarding against significant financial and operational losses.
Another advantage of Bridgemeter is its solution-as-a-service (SaaS) . There's no need to purchase any equipment or system licenses. Simply choose the sensors or equipment to be monitored and the monitoring package.
Recommended Action
Hospitals and healthcare institutions should prioritize monitoring their most critical and valuable equipment and environments. Identifying infrastructure gems, such as MRI machines and hemodynamic areas, and protecting them with dedicated monitoring systems is not just a best practice; it's an urgent necessity.
Adopting IoT technologies for continuous monitoring of temperature, humidity, and other critical parameters is a viable and affordable solution. These systems offer the ability to detect and alert about adverse conditions before they cause damage, enabling rapid interventions and preventing substantial losses.
Conclusion
The case study of the hospital with the damaged catheterization equipment serves as a clear warning to the healthcare sector. Lack of adequate monitoring of hospital infrastructure not only results in direct financial losses but also negatively impacts patient care.
Bridgemeter is a robust and reliable solution capable of monitoring critical operational variables, increasing safety, and drastically reducing maintenance risks for imaging equipment. With Above-Net's IoT solution, hospitals can optimize resource utilization, prevent losses, and ensure the quality of their healthcare services.
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