Determining the risk a medical device poses to patients or staff should it malfunction is not only a regulatory requirement, it can also be used to determine work order prioritization, hazard alert response, AEM eligibility, and equipment replacement needs.

With so many medical equipment management plan decisions being based on this important safety metric, it’s necessary for HTM organizations to use a risk scoring method that not only accurately determines risk at a point in time, but tracks changes in risk over time. Matt and Carol also discuss the need for organizations to standardize how they determine risk so that there is a universal understanding of the safety implications of classes of devices, and improved ability to audit and benchmark.