Effective health technology management (HTM) is critical to healthcare delivery worldwide. The absence of proper HTM in low-resource settings leads to a lack of medical equipment that is operational or safe for use. Previous solutions including medical equipment donation have proven ineffective as The World Health Organization estimates that 50–80% of equipment is non-functional. This paper examines the facilitators and barriers to implementing Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) as a means of improving HTM in Low-Middle-Income Countries (LMIC).

Five electronic databases were searched. Original research, literature reviews, and systematic reviews in English were included. Abstracts from all eligible articles were reviewed and, if indicated, the full text was screened. Furthermore, the reference list of included articles was scanned for relevant studies. Articles were analyzed using a ‘constant comparative’ method.

Themes identified include quality improvement, facilitators to CMMS implementation, and barriers to CMMS implementation. Hospitals in resource-limited settings report improvements in their maintenance practices and operational costs following the implementation of CMMS. A centralized internet-accessible server and standardization of training were found to be the main facilitators of CMMS implementation. Major barriers included difficulty retaining trained of trained engineers, the need for continued education, costs, the lack of consumables needed for equipment maintenance, and considerations of local context.

The importance of proper HTM in resource-limited hospital settings cannot be overlooked. The absence of proper HTM can be, in part, attributed to the shortage of skilled engineers. This emphasizes the need for access to continued biomedical engineering education to continue to advance and develop HTM in low resource settings. Although the implementation of CMMS in LMICs presents a multitude of challenges, our review found that it is by no means unfeasible, especially when adequate standardization and local context are taken into consideration.