Evaluation and selection of general purpose infusion pumps

Summary form only given. General purpose infusion pumps are not the most complex of medical devices. However, the selection of a new pump, or family of pumps, for use throughout a large tertiary care hospital can be a complex process. Most equipment selections involve three parties-the clinical users, purchasing and biomedical engineering. Reaching a consensus among those three can be challenging. With infusion pumps the clinical users and applications are diverse. Anesthesiologists use them in surgery. Nurses use them in critical care, acute care and outpatient settings. Pharmacists are involved in their use in all settings. Infusion pumps are used to deliver vasoactive drugs, chemotherapy, TPN and more. Reaching a consensus even among the users requires an effective process. The stakes in terms of patient care and cost are significant so effort expended up front to organize and execute the selection process will generate benefits through the implementation and life cycle of the pumps. This presentation will review the process recently followed at The Methodist Hospital in Houston Texas.