Purpose The objective of this research is to explore current medical equipment maintenance practices and identify the critical success factors influencing maintenance decisions and their impact on equipment performance. Design/methodology/approach Healthcare services rely heavily on medical equipment for the prevention, monitoring, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Hence, the proper functioning and availability of these devices are crucial to healthcare service providers. Properly planned maintenance decisions lead to more cost efficient, reliable and non-disrupted service, particularly with the increased reliance on medical equipment in healthcare facilities. Despite their importance and widespread usage in developing countries such as the UAE, there is limited research on medical equipment maintenance practices. This study employs a qualitative approach combined with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to examine the relationship between key influencing factors and equipment performance indicators. The main research tool used is a structured survey developed through an extensive literature review and expert feedback from five subject matter experts (SMEs). Data were analyzed using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to construct and validate the final model. Findings The results from 75 responses suggest that strategic decisions and infrastructure are the most influential factors affecting maintenance outcomes. Additionally, the results suggest that management exerts an indirect influence on equipment performance through increased awareness and active participation in maintenance-related strategic decisions. Variations in maintenance practices were observed, particularly across different device functionality levels. The recommendation is to maintain existing decisions for critical devices while enhancing maintenance decisions for less critical ones. This involves more deliberate planning of maintenance contracts, inclusive procurement procedures encompassing the full equipment life cycle, and the crucial use of IT tools for monitoring and analyzing performance data to inform corrective actions. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper represents the first systematic investigation of medical equipment maintenance practices in the medical sector in the Middle East and North Africa region. It contributes by offering an evidence-based analysis of current practices and practical recommendations to improve the performance of maintenance equipment, considering the significant financial and operational implications for healthcare institutions.
Al-Ashi et al. (Sat,) studied this question.