Figure and Table | Need for Improvements in Medical Device Management in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Applying Learnings from Japan’s Experience

Table 1. Experience from Japan that Can Be Applied to Alleviate the Problems in Developing Countries.

Problems in developing countries	Solutions in developed countries (Japan’s experience)	Barriers	Future directions
Insufficiently trained human resources in device management	Standardized training curriculum Licensing system for biomedical engineers	Long-term problem of human resource insufficiency Insufficient training courses for biomedical engineering	Training of biomedical engineers Training of non-engineering personnel in device use and management
No personnel or department designated for device management	Compulsory designation of personnel and department in charge of device management in medical institutions	No regulations	Mandate for the establishment of specialized departments and personnel in each facility, and definition of their roles
Arduous tasks in registration and recordkeeping	Use of a computerized management system	High cost of such systems that require a large amount of workload for data input	Inexpensive and user-friendly systems with automated data entry functions