US PIRG is surveying HTM professionals to document how repair restrictions affect patient care, downtime, and costs.
By Alyx Arnett
US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) is asking healthcare technology management (HTM) professionals to weigh in on how medical device repair restrictions affect patient care today. The advocacy organization has launched a new survey to inform a 2025 update to its Hospital Repair Restrictions report, revisiting concerns it first raised during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The survey targets clinical engineers, HTM, and BMET professionals and focuses on how access to service manuals, diagnostic tools, software, training, and spare parts has—or has not—changed in recent years. PIRG says the findings will be used to educate policymakers as the group renews its push to expand medical right to repair.
The broader Right to Repair movement is rooted in the idea that owners should be able to fix the products they purchase. While legislative reforms have advanced for consumer electronics, farm equipment, and other technologies, medical devices have largely remained outside the scope of state right-to-repair laws.
For HTM professionals, that gap presents operational challenges, says Henry Welch, a right to repair campaign associate with PIRG. Restrictions imposed by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), such as withholding service documentation or limiting access to parts and software, can force hospitals into costly service contracts and slow repairs.
“Our position is that those who provide the care to the patient should be able to choose for themselves what the best course of action is for medical device repair,” Welch says. Whether a hospital relies on OEM service, in-house technicians, or an independent service organization (ISO), he adds, “whoever services that equipment should be able to access the necessary repair materials.”
Higher Stakes for Patient Care
Unlike debates over consumer electronics, advocates argue that medical right to repair has direct implications for patient care. Delays in repairing clinical equipment can limit availability, disrupt workflows, and increase the risk of postponed procedures.
“A right to repair for medical equipment is crucial because it reduces equipment downtime and equipment maintenance costs,” Welch says. “Less downtime for equipment also improves patient care.”
Despite these arguments, medical devices—aside from powered wheelchairs—have not been included in the right-to-repair laws passed in 10 states. Welch points to research from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ECRI Institute, and other organizations showing that OEM, in-house, and third-party service can all be performed safely and effectively.
“Through extensive work by the FDA, ECRI Institute, and others, we know that repair of medical equipment by ISOs, in-house teams, and OEMs all offer safe, effective servicing and are critical to the functioning of our health care system,” he says.
Lessons from the Pandemic
PIRG’s original 2020 Hospital Repair Restrictions report examined how repair limitations affected hospitals during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, when demand for ventilators and other critical devices surged. The report documented cases in which hospitals faced obstacles such as software locks, lack of service manuals, restricted access to parts, and limited training.
According to PIRG, those practices complicated efforts to keep essential equipment operational during a public health emergency, highlighting vulnerabilities in a closed repair ecosystem.
Five years later, Welch says PIRG is reassessing the landscape to understand what has changed—and what has not. “We are relaunching efforts to engage key stakeholders in the BMET/HTM industry—including ISOs, hospitals, and OEMs,” he says.
A Renewed Call for Industry Input
The new survey is central to that effort. Welch says PIRG is seeking updated, firsthand input on how repair restrictions currently affect patient safety, equipment availability, and the ability of hospitals to respond promptly to care needs.
Welch says the data will help PIRG present a current, evidence-based picture to lawmakers as policy discussions continue. HTM professionals interested in participating can access the survey here. The survey closes at end-of-day Tuesday, Dec 23.
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Alyx Arnett is chief editor at 24×7. Questions or comments? Email [email protected].
