Room temperature thermometers for physician's office

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I was recently asked if the thermometers for monitoring room temperatures used in the physician's offices have to calibration certificates.  I know that they have to be able to monitor min/max temps.  Do they also have to have calibration certificates?  I thought they did but I was looking for confirmation one way or the other.  Is it required by CLIA?  Would anyone know which CAP standard addresses this issue?


Thanks!

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Not sure if it is a CLIA directive, but there are points starting with COM.30250, and a section starting with COM.30750 for this.

Hi Charlene,


I feel the easiest way to deal with thermometers, is when you purchase Min/Max thermometers from say Fisher, they come with a certificate of calibration and also an expiration date. Save the certificates in a binder to show at inspection time. When  they expire, we dispose of them and purchase new thermometers.  They have a pretty good expiration date.


If you are CAP you do need to show calibration of your thermometers. Not sure of other accreditation agencies.


JoAnn

I keep the certificates that come with the thermometer in a binder, and yearly, I perform the "calibration  verification"  by taking the temperature against the NIST thermometer that Blood bank has, at 4 time intervals and sign off on the log. Keep that with the certificates.   Put a hand made sticker on the thermometer ; calibrated and with the date.


We buy the Min/Max from Fisher.  They are calibrated for 2 years.


 It comes with a certificate that says so.


No one has the time to do calibration with the NSB standard.


The company will calibrate it for you for $50, so we just buy new ones every 2 years.


The cost of a new one is less than $50.


So we figure, we spend $25/ year/ location.


WE buy them all at the same time so the calibration expiration dates are the same.  



Great idea! Thanks!

Sent via Groupsite Mobile.

Agree with all above - easiest route is to just buy new when the calibration certificate expires.  Seems wasteful, but is all around the best fit.

Thank you for all the good input.


Char

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Charlene Swanson
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