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D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | O U T P AT 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
THINKING OF BUYING ...
and speed of turnover are both keys to efficiency. While some AERs
require the use of a particular disinfectant solution, others allow a
choice of options. Find out how the staff decided on the solution
they're using. Oftentimes it comes down to cost or exposure time.
• The big question.
In addition to questioning them on the pros and
cons of the machines they chose, be sure to ask users if they would
purchase them again. You might uncover some insights you wouldn't
get by researching technical specs online or laying hands on the equip-
ment in an exhibit hall. During a site visit last year, one manager told
me she wouldn't make the same choice again. Her smaller AER
seemed like an advantage at first, she said, but scopes had to be coiled
so tightly inside the machine that she was afraid it was damaging them.
• Cost and confidence.
Some AERs offer options that add to their cost
but may deliver more efficiency. For example, some models don't
require the brushing of scopes before they're placed in the machine;
high-powered flushing takes care of the manual cleaning for you. This
can save time, but I've met a lot of GI managers who still prefer their
scopes to be manually brushed and don't use this feature, even after
spending the extra money on it, which is hardly beneficial from a budg-
etary perspective.
On the other hand, the utility of equipment that offers continuous
leak testing or employs a computerized system that tracks scopes and
cycle details cannot be understated. When we were in the market for
a new AER, I wanted to make sure it did a thorough job quickly, so an
automated alcohol flush at the end of the cycle to facilitate drying was
extremely appealing. No longer would this extra step take our techs
extra time and effort. It has been a great help. OSM
Ms. Nail (
lna il@osesurg .com
) is the director of nursing for GI services at
Outpatient Services East in Birmingham, Ala.