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Inside Look: The Role of a Biomedical Technician  

What does a Biomedical Technician (BMT) do? 

It cannot be overstated just how critical the role is of a BMT. Professionals in this line of work are responsible for servicing, maintaining, and repairing medical equipment, machines and devices that touch the lives of patients all over the planet.  

Their responsibility ranges from handling preventative measures such as cleaning, as well as calibrating various functions of the equipment. 

A BMT is acutely knowledgeable of machines throughout hospitals and healthcare facilities that they can confidently disassemble, make repairs to, and then reassemble equipment. In order to maintain this level of expertise and ensure optimal levels of safety are in place for both staff and patients, the BMT must stay current in modern technologies within the medical field. 

Certainly there will be times of stress, when perhaps a machine needs immediate tending to, so it’s important for the technician to remain calm under pressure. 

Some examples of equipment that a BMT might work with are defibrillators, monitors, x-ray machines, and other speciality machines you’d find in dental or optometry offices. 

In addition to technicians using their hands, they will also be adept at working with electric tools, computer software, and smoldering irons in order to service advanced medical equipment.  

Where are BMTs employed? 

BMTs typically work inside hospitals, healthcare facilities, and other specialty medical practices. Due to the nature of many healthcare businesses being open seven days a week, sometimes even overnight, there are BMTs who will be required to stay “on-call” for emergency situations, i.e. when repairs are promptly needed.  

Being responsible for repairing equipment within the medical community means that a BMT could come into direct or indirect contact with patients, which opens up the doors for exposure to illness or disease. Of course safety measures are taken seriously to protect technicians in these situations. 

There are instances when repairs are not urgent or life-threatening such as fine-tuning a wheelchair, however some more complex equipment may require regular assessments and maintenance in an effort to avoid major issues. 

Are there any educational or certification requirements? 

As a general rule, earning an associate’s degree in either biomedical technology or biomedical engineering is appropriate. In some cases, when working with speciality equipment, a bachelor’s degree could be necessary; that degree could also enable more opportunities for advancement. 

Additionally, BMTs may be asked to take certification exams, but at this time, technicians are not legally required to to be certified. Some BMTs will focus on an area of speciality, while others have training to service a vast amount of machines within the medical industry. 

It is feasible to be hired for a BMT job that only requires on-the-job training, but those roles will likely consist of straightforward, simple repair jobs.  

Also, due to the nature of ongoing advancement within the medical space, continuing education is a significant aspect to the job. Biomedical technicians must stay informed and on top of industry changes. Having a team of qualified BMTs is pivotal in order to keep up with the ever-evolving healthcare industry. 

From time to time, Auxo Medical hires BMTs — be sure to check out our job postings page for more information. 

Melatonin Supplements: Friend or Foe?

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A research letter, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), reports that Americans are heavily relying on melatonin supplements to help them sleep. 

What is Melatonin? 

Our bodies naturally produce a hormone, melatonin. It is made by the pineal gland in our brains, but is also found in other areas including our eyes and gastrointestinal tract. 

It is commonly referred to as the sleep hormone since it’s associated with helping people fall asleep faster. Yet, it’s important to understand that the hormone is not going to nudge you into a coma-like state. Melatonin’s role is to simply prompt your body that it’s time to unwind and fall asleep by governing your circadian rhythm. 

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Internet of Medical Things (IoT): The Vast Impact Inside & Outside of Hospital Walls

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A patient’s heart monitor sends an alert to a physician that her arrhythmia is back.

A senior forgets to take their prescribed medication on time, and a devices helps remind them to take it and also documents what time they took it.

 A man’s implanted device monitors blood glucose symptoms and delivers a corrective insulin stimulus, alerting the physician simultaneously.

All of these examples are the epitome of the “Internet of Medical Things” (IoMT). The Internet of Medical Things refers to an ecosystem of medical devices and applications that collect data that is then provided to healthcare IT systems through online computer networks. Wi-Fi enabled devices are a catalyst for machines to communicate and link to cloud platforms for data storage. The “Internet of Things” (IoT) has influenced several industries, and the healthcare field is no exception. The medical industry across the board has gradually started to enter the integrated world of IoT.

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Outpatient is the Future of Total Joint Replacement

Ambulatory Surgery Centers are Paving the Way

Outpatient is the Future of Total Joint Replacement

 

Elective outpatient hip and knee replacements increased by 47 percent from 2012 to 2015, according to a study by Sg2. This insight is an early indicator that total joint replacements (TJR) are becoming more common in the Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) setting as a higher number of surgeons become experts on minimally invasive technology and pain management techniques for outpatient procedures.

Total joint surgeries moving toward outpatient can also be attributed to:

  • The transition to value-based care since ASCs are a high quality, low cost option
  • Insurance companies are more willing to cover outpatient TJRs
  • Studies show that patients who fit a particular criteria can achieve desired results in the outpatient setting

In this month’s newsletter, we’re peeling back the TJR outpatient trends, cost analysis, and how ASCs are taking a driver’s seat in the total joint arena.

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ASCs Bring Extra Value in Value-Based Care

Value-Based Care

Value-based healthcare is a delivery model in which providers are compensated based on patient health outcomes. Under value-based care agreements, providers (including hospitals and physicians) are recognized for helping patients improve their health, reduce the ramifications and incidence of chronic disease, and live a healthier lifestyle in an evidence-based process.

Value-based care is different from a traditional fee-for-service (FFS) approach. FFS providers are paid based on the amount of healthcare services they deliver. The “value” in value-based healthcare is derived from measuring health outcomes against the cost of delivering the outcomes.

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#AskAuxo: Medical Equipment Maintenance Q&A

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All month long, we have been focused on the importance of medical equipment maintenance. For this #ASKAuxo blog post, we wanted to dig a little bit deeper. We asked an expert about the fundamentals of proactively keeping equipment fully functional and reliable.

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4 Reasons You Should Make Preventative Maintenance of Medical Equipment a Top Priority

untitled-design-80Preventive maintenance programs are designed to ensure equipment is in quality working order to maintain reliable operation, protect patients, minimize the risk of injury to patients, and avoid pricey, unscheduled repairs.

Maintenance. The word itself can often times come with a negative connotation due to the term “High Maintenance.” But when it comes to medical equipment maintenance, the key here is PREVENTative. In this issue’s Auxo Medical newsletter, we’ll peel back why the importance of preventative maintenance cannot be overemphasized.

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Sterilizer Chamber Cleanings

Saving Time, Trouble & Money: Sterilizer Chamber Cleanings

What is easy to do is also easy not to do.  – Jim Rohn

As a “microwave society” — we enjoy seeing results immediately, and not necessarily waiting for the compound effect to kick in over a long period of time.

Taking a few minutes every single day to clean sterilizer chambers has both short term and long term benefits. Think about the concept of dental hygiene; it is preventative maintenance. Do you brush your teeth daily? Of course you do. But, do you floss daily? Maybe not. It’s easy to do, but it’s also…easy not to do. The benefits of doing this mundane and extra minute or two of work every single day has exponential benefits for your health in the long run.

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#AskAuxo: Top 5 Considerations When Purchasing Refurbished Medical Equipment

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Managing any type of medical facility is pricey. Although the healthcare field has limited opportunities to scale back on purchases than other businesses, there are still ways to save money and make intelligent purchases.

A refurbished piece of medical equipment means that expert medical technicians have restored it to its nearly new condition before it was released back to the market.

Here are 5 areas to take into account when deciding to purchase refurbished medical equipment.

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Streamlining Medical Equipment Processes with a Single Source

Doctor suggesting hospital program to patient

What are the benefits of using a single source vendor for purchasing medical equipment? This seems like an obvious answer for a common question, but the truth is, there is so much more to it than cost savings.

These days more than ever before, the Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) procurement team is under a lot of pressure to provide high quality equipment, within or under budget, while considering the needs (and opinions) of front line medical stakeholders.

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