Do you know how many pieces of equipment you have returned to the manufacturer due to a production defect? Effective management of equipment is requisite for any organization wishing to keep atop of accreditation standards and to control costs associated with repairs or replacement of equipment. The CPR+ event logging function allows users to track and trend events associated with equipment management.

This process begins with building pop-up lists of Event, Failure, and Action reasons from the Main Menu > Databases > Pop-up Windows:

• Rental Event Actions - These are the actions that are performed for an Event / Failure.
• Rental Event Failures - These are the malfunctions or concerns that would require an Action.
• Rental Event Reasons - These are the defined events (Cleaning, PM, Testing).

It is important to build these pop-ups before you log an event. Actions are associated with a Failure and as such cannot be added on-the-fly.

An event may be logged from an individual serialized item using the Log Event (Shift+F10) function, or from the Equipment Manager (right-click > Log Event, or Log Event (Shift+F10) button).

Log Event Options on the Equipment Manager Screen

When a user is logging an event, there is an area for freeform notes, and areas to record Failures and Actions associated with a Failure. Each Event may have one or more Failures recorded and each Failure may have one or more Actions recorded. For example, I am logging a scheduled maintenance for an Oxygen Concentrator. I would record any equipment specific notes in the Notes field and then select "No Failure" from my list of Failures. I select this because I am performing a routine maintenance and no failures have been reported on the equipment, but I must have a Failure recorded to select Actions. I then select the appropriate actions: cleaned / sterilized, tested rate flows and alarms, etcetera.

Event Log Entry Screen

During my testing, I find that the rate flow is incorrect and that the compressor is actually failing. Now I have a true failure that I can log. I select "Compressor Failure" from my list. Then I select "Returned to Manufacturer" from my list of Actions because I do not have the tools to repair the compressor. I would then save my entry to complete the logging of the Event.

At month's end, I want to know what equipment maintenance has been performed. I navigate to my Main Menu > Inventory > Inventory Reports > Rental Item Reports > Rental Events.

Rental Events Report Screen

You can see from the selection that I have the ability to filter my recorded Events by Item, particular Serial Number, Technician, Reason, Failure, and/or Action. This report will allow me to view all PM's recorded and all Failures and Actions recorded during the PM process. This report, then allows me to trend equipment maintenance issues. I can see that I have had to return seven pumps to the manufacturer in the past six months due to an alarm malfunction. I can use this information to communicate my displeasure with the manufacturer and to arrive at a mutually agreeable reconciliation. You can also use this information to communicate to your accreditation surveyor that you are keeping excellent records of maintenance on your equipment.

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Here's another cool new feature in CPR+ version 8.1: You will have the ability to email a copy of the Delivery Ticket to the patient and/or a patient contact when the Delivery Ticket is printed and sent to the Confirmation File.

There are several new settings and fields related to this feature.

1) On the Patient Demographics screen> Shipping tab, there is a new checkbox field titled: Send DT Via Email.

2) From the Utilities (8) button, select Program Options (4) > Delivery Tickets / Inventory tab > Options 11+ tab, select #20: Default Send Delivery Ticket via Email. Upon updating, this field will default to "N". By changing the field to "Y", the new Send DT via Email checkbox will be checked by default when new patients are added. This box will be empty for existing patients. Changing the Program Option to "Y" does not mark it for all patients.

3) In the Patient's Contacts (Patient Record, Demographics tab) there is a new checkbox titled Send DT via Email. It is important to note that an email will not be sent until the email address field is populated.

4) From the Main Menu, select Utilities (8) > Program Options (4). From the Administrative tab, select the Options 11+ tab. Option #19: click the DT Email Options button. The Delivery Ticket Email Setup screen opens. At the top of the screen there is a checkbox labeled Send Delivery Ticket Email. If this box is checked, an email will be sent to the patient and / or contact when the DT is printed.

• SMTP Server Settings - User Name, Password, Host Address, Host Name, Port. These are settings for accessing your email server. In the documentation for the PDL it states that an IT professional or System Administrator should complete these fields.  These setting are global and are stored in cprset.
  
  
• Email Options - Extended, Auto Resolve, Secure, Return Receipt - These are dependent on whether or not the email server supports these options.  It is up to whoever populates this information to know this.
  
  If the Email address of the user printing the DT box is checked, the "Reply to" address will be the email address of the person who printed the DT. If the box is not checked, then the "Reply to" address can be indicated in another field.
  
  There are fields on this form where you can enter a static "From" and "Reply to" address (i.e., support@yourcompany.com).

Using this new feature is COMPLETELY optional. If your organization believes this would be a HIPAA violation, then you should NOT DO IT. The only patient information that prints is the address (with county) and phone number.  No other identifying patient demographics print.

The information / format of the DT in the Email is not editable. Essentially, what you see is what you get! If you are using this feature or have questions about using email to send a delivery ticket, please click here to contact me.

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