TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluation of the role of metrological traceability in health care
T2 - a comparison study by statistical approach
AU - do Ceu Ferreira, Maria
AU - Matos, Ana
AU - Leal, Rogério Puga
N1 - sem pdf conforme despacho.
PY - 2015/12/1
Y1 - 2015/12/1
N2 - To evaluate the role of metrology in healthcare facilities, a study was performed among Portuguese hospitals to identify and analyze issues concerning the concept of metrological traceability. The discussion is structured around a dataset obtained from a survey questionnaire covering 44 public and private Portuguese hospitals. The principal results of our analysis include identifying some key indicators that apply to certified/accredited hospitals. Test reports and calibration certificates were the main metrological traceability documents required by the hospitals. The acquisition of medical measuring instruments with conformity reports depended on the type of hospital. Maintenance was considered the most relevant issue for private hospitals, whereas for the public hospitals, this issue is less important than trust in the supplier. For public hospitals, purchase price was the most important requirement. For hospitals that acquire calibrated measuring instruments, only 50 % perform in-house calibration. We conclude that trust in supplier is associated with a lower overall budget for maintenance operations. The protocol established by hospitals to acquire measurement instruments does not reflect metrological concerns, and the relationship between maintenance and metrological operation is not well established. Thus, we conclude that metrological traceability is largely absent in the daily considerations of healthcare professionals and facilities.
AB - To evaluate the role of metrology in healthcare facilities, a study was performed among Portuguese hospitals to identify and analyze issues concerning the concept of metrological traceability. The discussion is structured around a dataset obtained from a survey questionnaire covering 44 public and private Portuguese hospitals. The principal results of our analysis include identifying some key indicators that apply to certified/accredited hospitals. Test reports and calibration certificates were the main metrological traceability documents required by the hospitals. The acquisition of medical measuring instruments with conformity reports depended on the type of hospital. Maintenance was considered the most relevant issue for private hospitals, whereas for the public hospitals, this issue is less important than trust in the supplier. For public hospitals, purchase price was the most important requirement. For hospitals that acquire calibrated measuring instruments, only 50 % perform in-house calibration. We conclude that trust in supplier is associated with a lower overall budget for maintenance operations. The protocol established by hospitals to acquire measurement instruments does not reflect metrological concerns, and the relationship between maintenance and metrological operation is not well established. Thus, we conclude that metrological traceability is largely absent in the daily considerations of healthcare professionals and facilities.
KW - Health
KW - Measuring instruments
KW - Metrological traceability
KW - Metrology
KW - Quality assurance
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84947129538&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00769-015-1149-9
DO - 10.1007/s00769-015-1149-9
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84947129538
SN - 0949-1775
VL - 20
SP - 457
EP - 464
JO - Accreditation and Quality Assurance
JF - Accreditation and Quality Assurance
IS - 6
ER -