Medical equipment procurement mistakes can cost a hospital far more than it might have spent on the equipment in the first place. That’s why it makes sense to take a proactive approach when deciding what to buy and how much you need.
This blog post details the top most common mistakes people make when buying medical equipment, with advice on what to avoid next time you’re shopping for medical supplies.
Best Practice
Finding a good supplier that offers the best price and offers a huge range of products is the best way to go.
What to Avoid:
⚕️ Failing to Get a Product Demonstration:
Hospitals and clinics are often in the market for new products, so take advantage of these opportunities and ask for a demonstration of a product before you buy it. Just because a product looks great on paper, doesn’t mean you’ll be able to use it without some training.
⚕️ Buying Cheap:
The old adage “You get what you pay for” is true in the medical industry. Cheap prices are often a sign of poor quality. Cheap products can break easily, which can be very dangerous for your patients – and your reputation. In an age of online reviews, a malfunctioning medical device could cause your hospital to lose patients and business.
That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t shop around for cost-effective products. Comparing prices online, like with medical-supermarket.com, can help.
⚕️ Failing to Consider Your Budget:
A good number of hospitals and clinics invest in medical equipment because they believe it will save money in the long run.
However, there are always trade-offs. If you buy cheap equipment that breaks down a lot, or if your staff doesn’t know how to use it, those savings will be negated by having to replace or repair it more often and paying for overtime for an entire department of staff just to operate the equipment.
⚕️ Failing to Consider the Impact on Your Staff:
If you are buying a new piece of medical equipment that will be used by your staff, make sure that they don’t already have something they can use in its place (such as an existing piece of equipment that could be reconfigured). In addition to training, you should consider its impact on your staff workflow.
It might seem great in theory to buy a large machine that can scan dozens of patients at once, but if it takes up most of the floor space in your lab and the other tests need to be scheduled around it, you may end up with long wait times for patients and lower scores on patient satisfaction surveys.
⚕️ Not Considering the Return on Investment:
Many hospitals buy equipment so they don’t have to purchase another machine down the road or because they need a new piece of equipment ASAP. However, you should always factor the ongoing cost and maintenance costs into your decision-making process.
If your equipment requires an annual maintenance contract and you’re paying for it out of pocket, you might be better off buying a more expensive machine that can be replaced every couple of years.
Patients are the main priority for any hospital, but purchasing equipment for your lab is also a way to invest in a new technology that can improve the quality of care and productivity of the staff.
Investing in new medical equipment is an opportunity to innovate and improve services beyond just research and development.
