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O R T H O P E D I C S
paper charting. Mr. DeConciliis says systems that integrate with electronic recordkeeping save tremendous amounts of time and money by
eliminating printing costs. Instead of printing pictures to put in
patients' paper charts or to give to surgeons, the systems automatically and seamlessly generate and store the images.
One company offers the entire arthroscopy platform — light source,
camera, digital data capture device — in a single space-saving box that
sends images to cloud-based servers. That's a valuable design.
4. Sales and service
"The nuances between the available systems are difficult to define,
because they're all very good," says Ms. Berreth. "You have to decide
based on a company's reputation and responsiveness."
Trial all components of a company's system: pumps, burrs, shavers,
radiofrequency and thermal ablation wands. Opt for multiple-use, not
single-use, tubing to realize cost savings. The ergonomics of the handpieces and autoclavability of the devices should factor into your decision-making process.
You can buy systems up front or work on creative purchasing methods: fee-for-disposables agreement, bundling into a cost-per-case fee,
financing or loaner contract, says Mr. DeConciliis.
Negotiating price is key, but so is finding the right service contract.
"Working with a single company that can service every part of a system is a lot easier than having to work with several vendors to keep
things online," says Mr. DeConciliis.
Ms. Berreth agrees. She says cameras get dropped and light cords
get abused, so the company you work with must have excellent customer service that provides fast repair and replacements when systems break down. "If problems or concerns arise, we can have a rep
on the phone immediately, or on site in a matter of hours."
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O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | N O V E M B E R 2013
