The Instrument Approval Gauntlet
Jumping through hoops to get that purchase order.
N
o pun intended, but the
instruments of yesteryear
just won't cut it anymore
when something new and improved
comes down the surgical pike. Every
time I look up from my mask, there's
a new-fangled gadget, be it a suture
retriever, suture passer, anchor or
drill guide. Many will turn out to be
mere fads; others are small varia-
tions on an old theme. But once in a
while a new product truly holds
promise in making the case easier.
This of course translates to better
patient care. The problem is, how
can I get it approved? Seriously, please tell me.
The new order
In the old days, if I discovered a new instrument that I deemed wor-
thy, I would simply ask for the instrument and insist on its importance
to my practice. If the device wasn't terribly expensive, chances are it
would materialize on my tray. Nowadays, the labyrinth of steps for
instrument approval rivals the path for U.S. citizenship. I sometimes
feel I have to sign over the title of my home or my firstborn in order
to procure a new anchor.
Capital budget. I fear these dreaded words. If you don't request new
instruments during that sacrosanct budgetary time of year when capital
expenditures may be approved, 12 months of painful waiting is certain.
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Cutting Remarks
John D. Kelly IV, MD
The labyrinth of steps for
instrument approval rivals
the path for U.S. citizenship.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN