Learn how to plan a medical equipment donation to a low-resource setting that's appropriate, sustainable, and has a real impact. Navigate the pitfalls of planning and organising donations of medical equipment. Unavailability of essential clinical equipment can be a serious problem in low-resource settings. On this course, developed in collaboration with the Tropical Health Education Trust (THET), you‘ll learn best practices in planning a donation of medical equipment to a low-resource setting.
Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see FutureLearn's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.
Whilst medical equipment donations can play a critical role in filling gaps, without careful planning, donations can fail and even become a burden on the receiving institution.
You’ll discover how to decide what to donate to have the greatest long-term impact, how to ensure your donation will be sustainable, and the key pitfalls to consider.
Get practical advice on shipping, costs, and funding
Using case studies of successful donations in different contexts, you’ll have the opportunity to discuss and develop your ideas with other learners.
You’ll also cover organisational issues like deciding on where to buy the equipment, shipping, customs, and costs to budget for.
Does this course feature coronavirus-specific advice for clinicians?
Yes. At the end of the course, you’ll be introduced to funding schemes that you can apply to today and specific reference will be made to issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the challenge of sourcing high-quality Personal Protective Equipment during this time.
What topics will you cover?
- Introduction to the challenges of healthcare in low-resource settings
- Planning a donation: assessing what is needed
- Feasibility and sustainability – is this going to work?
- Options when sourcing the equipment: local versus international suppliers
- Second-hand equipment donations
- Medical device regulations
- Usage and maintenance supplies
- Budgeting and hidden costs
Learning on this course
You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Identify important stakeholders and other resources to consult when planning a donation of medical equipment.
- Describe the different steps in the medical equipment lifecycle, and consider what will be required at each stage to ensure the donation is both feasible and sustainable.
- Assess common risks and pitfalls that may threaten the success of a donation.
- Evaluate the different options available when sourcing equipment to donate, considering quality, the pros and cons and sustainability.
- Describe which costs to include when budgeting for the cost of a donation, and describe an example of how to structure a budget.
- Debate specific issues around the donation of equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic, including the problem of counterfeit PPE.
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for healthcare professionals – including medical students – considering donations of medical equipment to low-resource healthcare settings.
