works for your facility," he adds. "That number often revolves around the cost
of the company's disposable supplies."
For example, when Mr. Keller was negotiating with the vendor from which he
bought the 4K monitors for the orthopedic ORs, he agreed to purchase fluid-col-
lecting floor mats from the company in exchange for a better price. "We were
already purchasing the mats, so it's not like we added to the case costs," says
Mr. Keller. "We just gave them a little piece of our business for a much better
price on the monitors."
Another purchasing tip: Carve out enough time for your surgical teams to trial
the imaging equipment you're considering, to determine if its performance in
the OR lives up to the marketing claims made in exhibit halls.
"Ask surgeons and staff if it really performs as well as the vendor promised,"
says Mr. Keller. "Then let them know how much it would cost to add the tech-
nology. They'll let you know if it's worth the investment."
The other equipment in the room might not have a direct impact on the views of
surgery, but Mr. Keller says it was a major factor in the imaging technology his
hospital ended up purchasing. "The surgeons loved the arthroscopy towers of one
company, so it made sense to seriously consider purchasing the 4K monitors from
the same place," he explains. "By standardizing the equipment, we work with the
same rep for all ortho procedures and have only one contact if anything in the
room needs troubleshooting."
Looking ahead
Your surgeons are likely satisfied with the standard-definition monitors they use
now, but how long will that last? "Surgeons are the ultimate end-users," says Ms.
Orth-Nebitt. "You're in for a struggle if they don't like the quality of the images."
Ms. Orth-Nebitt suggests you look beyond your current imaging requirements
when it's time for an upgrade. "Think about your needs 5 years from now,
because that's approximately how long the technology will stay current," she
explains. "You have to be forward-thinking if you want your surgeons to always
work with the latest offerings."
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