Equipment Specifications Formats

1) Descriptive
2) Generic (...brief, able to be met by many manufacturers)
3) Manufacturer (..."shall be by Siemens" ... etc.)
4) Origin (..."shall be made in USA" etc.)
5) Performance (...shall be able to ....)
6) Reference (...to standards etc.)

...can be a composite of any or all of the above.

Specification writing

Twenty specs per writer per day is attainable (ten per day is better would result in better quality). So 100 per week can be achieved if pushed (ie, 20 specs/day x 5 days), but 50 per week is much better (that is, about one an hour).

Typical hospital may need 800 specs. So at least 8 weeks (2 months) are needed for complete the job of spec writing (but note that 4 months would be more comfortable)!

Specifications style options

1) Good specs should be generic and brief. They should not be geared to any particular manufacturer or supplier.

2) "...suitable for use..." eg:-
- in a hospital
- in an intensive care unit
- in an operating theatre
- by an executive manager ...etc.

3) Chair: Managers
...suitable for use by a manager.

4) MME-044 Monitor: NIBP: ECG: Portable

For monitoring of vital signs whilst patient is in transit. Powered from mains and internal battery. Compact, lightweight and able to be hung on patient trolley when necessary. Parameters to be monitored shall include:- ECG, heart rate, NIBP, SpO2 and temperature. Complete with bracket for mounting on IV pole, two sets of 3-lead ECG cables with clip-type leads, two sets of adult cuffs and tubing, one child cuff and tubing, two sets of adult SpO2 pick-up sensors, one child SpO2 sensor, one adult temperature sensor, one child temperature sensor, and start-up pack of disposable electrodes. (as written by for Al-Hasa Day Surgery 05-Mar-00).

Another specification model

1) What it is
2) Technical detail sufficient to "pin it down"
3) Relevant codes and standards