Patient-Owned Electrical Equipment for In-Hospital Use

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre's (Sunnybrook) policy, "Patient-Owned Electrical Equipment for In-Hospital Use", is consistent with Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) and the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, Ontario Regulation 429/07. Additionally, the policy is consistent with the principles of customer service i.e. dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity.

Sunnybrook encourages the use of personal assistive devices whenever possible to improve access to hospital services.

Purpose

To maximize patient and staff safety and meet the criteria of the Canadian Standards Association adopted by the hospital.

Policy

All patient-owned electrically operated equipment (e.g., motorized wheelchairs/scooters, fans, radios) shall receive a safety inspection by the Department of Biomedical Engineering prior to being used in the hospital. The only exception to this policy is personal electric razors.

Definition(s)

Patient Owned Electrical Equipment: Any electrical item brought in by patient/family for the patient's personal use during their inpatient stay/clinic visit.

Procedure

1. Advise the patient/family of the mandatory hospital requirement for the safety inspection of any patient-owned electrical equipment brought into hospital for personal use. The item MUST NOT be used until this safety inspection is completed and item passes the inspection.
2. Unit staff will ensure the item is clearly marked with the patient's name and Unit.
3. A patient service partner (PSP) is responsible for transporting the item to Biomedical Engineering with completed requisition. Where possible, the item will be inspected immediately.
4. Biomedical Engineering will mark the item with an inspection sticker when the item passes inspection.
5. Biomedical Engineering will notify Unit when item is ready for pick-up.
6. A PSP is responsible for retrieving the patient's personal electrical equipment and, if the item has passed inspection, return it to the patient for use. If the item has not passed inspection, the PSP will inform the patient's nurse who will discuss this with the patient and ensure the item is clearly labeled as failed inspection and ensure it is sent home as quickly as possible.
7. Staff is accountable to ensure they know their responsibilities when utilizing patient-owned electrical equipment, including safety measures.