Astra Management: Validation of a Digital Platform for Monitoring the Maintenance of Medical Equipment

Rivera J.M.T.; Vidal C.K.B.; Bahamonde M.C.; Rua S.; Barboza T.C.S.; Rojas V.M.R.; Venancio-Huerta J.E.; Agapito A. · IFMBE Proceedings (2026) · DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-20291-8_17

Resumen

Healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries face significant challenges due to the lack of effective tools for reporting and managing incidents involving medical equipment. In Latin America, approximately 40% of medical equipment in public hospitals is out of service, largely due to poor maintenance practices, prolonged medical device downtime, and a shortage of qualified biomedical engineers—factors that contribute to widespread device inoperability with serious consequences for patient safety and institutional efficiency. This paper presents the conceptual design of a low-cost, intelligent reporting system that integrates QR codes, chatbots, and cloud-based services. Developed using engineering methodologies such as VDI 2222 and Cruz-Cordero, the proposed solution addresses traceability, usability, and performance monitoring through key indicators such as Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) and Mean Time to Repair (MTTR). The system design is supported by fieldwork conducted in Peruvian healthcare facilities, ensuring that the solution responds to real-world operational needs and constraints. By enabling structured data collection, automated reporting, and centralized information management, the system promotes proactive risk management and informed decision-making. This approach provides a scalable and sustainable model for strengthening clinical engineering practices, reducing preventable medical device downtime, and ultimately improving the quality of patient care in resource-constrained healthcare environments. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

Instituciones: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia