1 2 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7
total team effort from start to finish. Here's how to get it done.
1. Shop the vendors
The advent of high-def brought incredible clarity and depth of field to OR video
monitors, and that capability has been far surpassed by ultra high-def, which
offers 4 times the resolution and a much broader color range. We decided to
upgrade our standard HD imaging systems when some of our video equipment
started to show its age. We began the process of reviewing options from current
and prospective vendors and negotiated fairly aggressively from the beginning.
Some reps came back to us with a number and said, "This is our best offer."
Others were doing whatever they could to point the finger at competing prod-
ucts and emphasize where they fell short instead of showing us how their offer-
ings could help make us better. We didn't consider those comments; instead, we
judged each video system based solely on its merits and quickly whittled the
field down to a couple vendors.
2. Seek input from surgeons
As part of our review process, we spent a lot of time learning about each sur-
geon's "wish list." Surgeons, one after another, told us the technology offered by
the vendor of our existing system simply didn't compare to the resolution of the
competitor's product. One of our gynecologic surgeons called 4K "an amazing
advancement." When he looked at the high-resolution monitor, he loved that the
image was incredibly lifelike and not as if he were looking at pixels on a screen.
Other members of our surgical team echoed his sentiments. So we knew which
system we wanted. Now we just had to convince the center's board of directors
(see "Engaged Surgeons Help Justify Investments").
3. Promote the technology
Our center's administrative director, Pamela Ertel, RN, BSN, CNOR, RNFA, asked
the vendor to attend a board meeting and demonstrate how the system worked. It
