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Biomedical Equipment Technician Capacity Building Using a Unique Evidence-Based Curriculum Improves Healthcare

This article assesses the impact of a unique evidence-based biomedical equipment technician training program on the healthcare infrastructure and the productivity of technicians in Rwanda. Matched cohorts of hospitals included 9 technicians who received no training and 11 with 1 year of training. Equipment from selected departments were surveyed and classified based on functionality and use. Technician and hospital director interviews included management processes and requests for technical assistance and details of equipment repairs from the past 12 months. Obstacles to returning partially functional and out-of-service equipment to use were recorded. Nearly twice as much equipment is out of service at hospitals where the technicians are not trained (10.2% vs 17.8%, P < .01). Trained technicians show 114% higher productivity and are using more of the unique elements of the curriculum than nontrained technicians P < .05). Biomedical equipment technicians seek assistance 3 times more often within Rwanda (245% increase, P < .05) and 5 times more outside Rwanda (461%, P < .001). Technicians who completed 1 year of this unique biomedical equipment technician training program are dramatically improving healthcare by effectively using and sharing taught skills.