Okay, a little background information is in order here. I work for a Clinical Engineering Department in a large hospital system. Our main purpose is to inspect and repair medical equipment, from MRIs and CT Scanners down to blood pressure machines and IV pumps.

Now I know the title says love, and I promise there is a love connection, just be patient.

While doing some database work on the system we use to track repairs, I decided to do a little data exploration (I don’t have a lot of hobbies). I asked myself, “What equipment is breaking down the most?” I figured this could be a valuable piece of information. So, I exported six months worth of repair history into a CSV file.

Using Excel, I started playing with Pivot Tables. I started by checking to see what types of equipment seemed to break down the most. Turns out it was infusion pumps, not a real surprise to anyone who has ever worked in the field.

But looking a little more closely. One hospital out of my system used Brand A and they wanted to get rid of them out of the belief they were the unreliable. However, a quick look at the data provided otherwise.

Okay, so after I unsullied the reputation of the Brand A pump, I decided “Why not look at the repair rates of individual pieces of equipment?” (I know, I live a WILD life)

Below is the list from one of my hospitals. Pay special attention to the area highlighted in red. The amount of repair work orders opened for dental chairs was way off anything my 20 plus years of experience in the field would have led me to expect.

So I decided to dig a little further. Well, it turns out all 78 work orders we opened by one of our younger (24 year old) single technicians. A quick walk up to the dental department quickly explained why the dental chairs needed so much attention. The problem was about 5’2″, long blond hair, a cute smile, and (even in scrubs) quite the little body.

So there you go. Young love revealed itself through the power of the pivot table.