Medical equipment, from computed tomography scanners to surgical tools, is becoming more and more sophisticated. The rapid infusion of technology has generated incredible advancements in patient care; however, it has also created challenges for those who operate and maintain the equipment.

Now a series of web courses are available online through the Joint Knowledge Online portal that provide step-by-step instructions on how to operate and/or maintain several pieces of medical equipment currently in use within Army Medicine. All trainings are available online at: https://jkodirect.jten.mil/Atlas2/page/desktop/DesktopHome.jsf.

To find a full list of all courses, browse the Course Catalog section under the prefix "MED."

As Army Medicine's materiel developer and total lifecycle support for medical equipment, the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency is working with the U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School Health Readiness Center of Excellence's Distributed Learning Division on developing the web courses, which are funded through the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command.

"As medical equipment technology continues to evolve, we must ensure that Army Medicine is able to operate and maintain this equipment," said Maj. Torrance Beck, deputy project manager of USAMMA's Medical Devices Program Management Office. "The goal of the training modules is to provide operators and maintainers with instant access to preventative maintenance, safety, patient safety, equipment repairs and warranty data."

For most equipment, the site offers a course for operators, as well as maintainers' training. The target audience for the operator courses includes all military and civilian personnel that use, maintain or repair medical equipment. The target audience for the maintainer courses includes all military and civilian personnel who are employed in a biomedical repair occupational position.

Currently, 1-hour web trainings are offered on the following pieces of medical equipment:

• i-STAT 1 Handheld Blood Gas Analyzer (maintainer's course)
• Alaris MedSystem III Infusion Pump (operator's course)
• Aribex NOMAD Pro Dental X-Ray Apparatus (Both operator's and maintainer's courses available)
• Belmont Rapid Infuser Fluid Management System 2000 (Both operator's and maintainer's courses available)
• Clinitek Advantus Urine Analyzer (Both operator's and maintainer's courses available)
• ConMed System 5000 Electrosurgical Unit (Both operator's and maintainer's courses available)
• Draeger Fabius Tiro M Field Anesthesia Apparatus (Both operator's and maintainer's courses available)
• Medtronic Integrated Power Console Surgical Drill System (Both operator's and maintainer's courses available)
• Propaq Encore Vital Signs Monitor (Both operator's and maintainer's courses available)
• Sonomed E-Z Scan AB5500plus Ocular Ultrasound (Both operator's and maintainer's courses available)
• Sysmex pocH-100i Automated Hematology Analyzer (Both operator's and maintainer's courses available)
• Zeiss OPMI Vario Surgical Microscope (Both operator's and maintainer's courses available)
• Philips Bucky Diagnostic X-Ray (Both operator's and maintainer's courses available)
• IMPACT 754M Ventilator (Both operator's and maintainer's courses available)
• Expandable One-Sided International Standardization Organization (single course for both operators and maintainers)
• Portable Oxygen Generation System (POGS 33C) (Both operator's and maintainer's courses available)
• Aseptico Portable Scrub Sink (Both operator's and maintainer's courses available)

The Army plans to add additional trainings throughout the next year:

• Ultrasound System Portable (operator's and maintainer's courses)
• CT Scanner Part 1 and Part 2 (operator's and maintainer's courses)
• 80kVA Chloride Uninterruptible Power Supply (maintainer's course only)
• Coagulation Analyzer (operator's and maintainer's courses)
• Intracranial Pressure Monitor (operator's and maintainer's courses)

Additionally, production development of the following products will start in October 2016 and be released in 2018.

• NewLife Elite Oxygen Concentrator (operator's and maintainer's courses)
• National Optronics Ophthalmic Lens Edging Machine (operator's and maintainer's courses)
• Ophthalmic Lens Fabrication System (operator's and maintainer's courses)
• Pneumatic Tourniquet System (operator's and maintainer's courses)

After completing the training, participants can provide feedback through a short survey, which is used by the Instructional Technology Division of AMEDD HRCoE.

For issues accessing or completing the training, contact the JKO Help Desk at jkohelpdesk@jten.mil or via telephone at (757) 203-5654.