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Risk management for healthcare entities: Equipment lifecycle management (ELM)

Equipment Lifecycle Management (ELM) is the systematic process of overseeing medical devices from acquisition to disposal. Discover the benefits of ELM and how to implement it into your operations.

08/19/2025 · 4 minute read

What is Equipment Lifecycle Management?

Equipment Lifecycle Management (ELM) is the systematic process of overseeing medical devices from acquisition to disposal. In Canadian public healthcare, ELM tracks key phases—planning, procurement, deployment, maintenance, and decommissioning—to optimize performance, reduce failures, and extend usability without requiring new funding. It’s about working smarter with what’s already on hand.

Why It Matters for Canadian Healthcare

Public entities face aging equipment (e.g., ventilators, X-ray machines) and tight budgets, making reactive repairs costly and risky. ELM shifts the focus to proactive oversight, catching issues before they disrupt care. For instance, a 2021 Health Canada report flagged inconsistent maintenance as a contributor to device-related incidents—ELM directly tackles this gap. By stretching equipment lifespan and minimizing downtime, it aligns with the Canada Health Act’s emphasis on efficient, accessible care.

Key Components of ELM

Use existing tools (e.g., Excel, hospital asset databases) to catalog all equipment, noting age, usage hours, and service history.

Assign risk scores based on criticality (e.g., life-support devices = high risk) and condition, prioritizing oversight without new software.

Monitor how often and intensely equipment is used via logs kept by staff— no high-tech sensors needed, just consistent record-keeping.

Identify overused devices at risk of failure (e.g., a CT scanner running 12-hour shifts) and underused ones that could serve as backups. 

Shift from calendar-based servicing (e.g., every 6 months) to condition-based schedules, using usage data to target devices nearing failure points.

Train in-house biomedical staff to perform minor repairs (e.g., recalibrating monitors), reducing reliance on external vendors.

Relocate underutilized equipment from low-demand areas (e.g., rural clinics) to high-need zones (e.g., urban ICUs) within the public network.

Repurpose functional but outdated devices for less critical tasks (e.g., using an old ultrasound for training), extending their utility.

Define clear decommissioning criteria (e.g., repair costs exceed 50% of replacement value) to avoid clinging to failing equipment.

Salvage parts from retired devices (e.g., motors, screens) for repairs elsewhere, creating a DIY spare parts pool.

Implementation Steps

  1. Audit Current Assets
    Start with a facility-wide sweep—staff can document equipment details during downtime, no extra hours needed. 
  2. Centralize Data
    Pool findings into a shared spreadsheet or existing system, accessible to managers and technicians across shifts. 
  3. Set Priorities
    Rank equipment by risk and usage; focus first on high-stakes devices like defibrillators or dialysis machines. 
  4. Adjust Operations
    Rotate equipment use to balance wear, schedule maintenance during low-demand periods, and test redistribution logistics. 
  5. Review and Refine
    Monthly check-ins to assess failure rates and tweak the approach, using real-time feedback from staff. 

Benefits

  • Reduced Failures: Predictive tracking catches wear before it becomes breakdown—like spotting a frayed cord before it shorts. 
  • Cost Savings: Fewer emergency repairs and better use of existing assets stretch current budgets. 
  • Patient Safety: Consistent uptime for critical devices (e.g., ventilators) prevents care gaps. 
  • Staff Empowerment: Involving frontline workers in logging and planning builds ownership and awareness. 

Call to Action

  • Managers: Launch an ELM pilot with your current team and tools—start small, think big. 
  • Technicians: Lead the charge on usage logs and maintenance tweaks; your expertise drives this. 
  • Staff: Log every use and issue—your data fuels the system’s success. 

Liability and Insurance Considerations

ELM also plays a critical role in managing liability and insurance risks for public healthcare entities. Equipment failures can lead to patient harm, triggering legal claims against hospitals or staff, particularly if negligence (e.g., skipped maintenance) is proven. A robust ELM system—documenting usage, maintenance, and decommissioning—provides defensible evidence of due diligence, potentially reducing liability exposure and insurance premiums. For example, if a ventilator fails and logs show regular servicing per ELM protocols, this could mitigate claims of neglect. Conversely, poor lifecycle management might hike insurance costs or leave entities vulnerable to uncovered losses, especially for high-risk devices. ELM thus doubles as a shield against legal and financial fallout.

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