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Archive for the ‘Medical Equipment’ Category

Medical equipment is used by medical practitioners to help them make the diagnosis, monitoring or treatment of the medical conditions of their patents. To ensure that they are completely accurate and helpful, medical equipment should be made with the most superior quality ingredients or components. All medical equipments should pass the most stringent and rigorous safety standards. Medical equipment is part of the medical technology as it is technology that improves and extends life. Incessant medical technology creates more medical equipment which enhances the quality and effectiveness of healthcare.

There are different kinds of medical equipment depending on their function or whether these are for diagnosis, monitoring or for treatment.

? Diagnostic medical equipments are those used to help in diagnosis such as medical imaging machines. Medical imaging is the method used to create images of the human body or parts of the human body in order that medical experts can diagnose the problem or identify the possible disease or disorder. Examples of diagnostic medical equipment are ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) scanners, and x-ray machines.

? Life-support medical equipments are used to maintain the bodily function of a patient such as medical ventilators, anaesthetic machines, heart-lung machines, ECMO, and dialysis machines. A medical ventilator is designed to move breathable air into and out of the lungs for those who are unable to breathe or breathing insufficiently. Medical ventilators are classed life-critical system as failure of this medical equipment can result to death. The anaesthetic machine is used to support the administration of anaesthesia. Heart-lung machine or the pump or cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is used in heart surgery. During the operation, the CPB temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lung. The extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a simplified form of the heart-lung machine but for newborns. Dialysis machine is used on patients with kidney problems to remove wastes and excess water from the blood which the kidney can no longer do.

? Therapeutic medical equipments such as infusion pumps, medical lasers and LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) surgical machines

? Medical equipments for the laboratory which helps analyze urine, blood and genes which can help in the diagnosis of the illness.

Medical equipments can also be categorized as hospital medical equipment which is primarily employed in the hospitals. A BMET or biomedical equipment technician is the person responsible for ensuring the hospital?s medical equipment is working at its best when needed. BMETs are highly skilled technicians who make sure that the medical equipment is safe, functional and properly configured. What people don?t normally know is that there are also medical equipments that are used at home in order that patients can manage their health situation. These are what we call Durable Medical Equipment (DME) or Home Medical Equipment (HME) and include, wheelchair, home nebulizers, oxygen concentrator, crutch, to name a few. In order to obtain home medical equipment, a patient must be able to present a physician?s prescription, especially for FDA regulated home medical equipments.

Finding the best medical equipment at the best price can be a challenge. With the wide variety of programs available, figuring out the best option for your hospital or private practice can be time consuming and frustrating.

When sifting through plans, you will find there are three basic options – purchase, rental and lease. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages. The idea of purchasing new or pre-owned medical equipment is fairly straight forward. After shopping around and finding the best deal, your hospital or private practice will make the purchase. Leasing and renting medical equipment are less clear.

Leasing Medical Equipment

When a hospital leases a piece of medical equipment, the hospital owns it but in most cases the medical equipment is actually sold to a bank working with the hospital. One of the biggest advantages of leasing is the medical equipment is paid in full up front, which means there is no liability for the hospital.

This is perfect for hospitals that do not have a large capital budget. The hospital gets the equipment it needs immediately and at the end of the leasing period, the hospital actually owns the medical equipment item. The ideal leasing candidate will not need more than 20 units at a given time. The candidate will need the medical equipment immediately, but not have enough money in the budget to cover the entire item and they do not want to rent. Renting Medical Equipment

Just like leasing, when a hospital or private practice rents medical equipment, they have no liability as a customer. The medical equipment does not show up as an asset on the hospital’s balance sheet. The hospital is not charged for repairs unless they occur because of abuse or neglect of the medical supply item – this means all normal wear and tear are covered. When the medical equipment reaches the end of its life, there will be no disposal fees. Hospitals and private practices can choose to rent the medical supply items for a few days and return it or for a couple of months at a time.

The ideal candidate for rental is a hospital that needs a small bump in medical equipment. Whether cold and flu season is right around the corner and the hospital knows it will be busy or hospital staff is left scrambling after a recall, rental medical equipment is the perfect solution to the problem. In this case, the hospital does not need to purchase the equipment; they just need a few extra supplies for a period of time.

Some hospitals choose to take part in long-term rental situations. In these cases, the rental units will not show up on the capital budget, because all of the spending will likely come from the operational funds. Since there are no maintenance responsibilities associated with rental equipment – unless negligence or abuse occurs – there is no need for a hospital or private practice to employee repair technicians.

Hospitals and private practices have a number of options available when trying to purchase new equipment. Whether you choose to rent, purchase or lease medical equipment, research each option carefully – you are sure to come to the best solution for your hospital.

Choosing to buy used medical equipment instead of new equipment can be a good decision, especially for doctors looking to start up a brand new practice. Buying used equipment can save you a lot of money, and if you do some shopping around you can find enough good deals on reliable medical devices that you shouldn’t have to sacrifice on quality at all. Here are a few important things to know about used medical equipment if you’re thinking of opting for this option.

The Savings

You can save a lot of money by purchasing used medical equipment, as much as 50% of what you would have to pay for brand new equipment. The exact numbers depend on the company you buy from and on the condition of the device you’re purchasing, and also on whether or not it comes with a warranty. But just to provide an example, a defibrillator that would sell for $18,000 new can be found used for only $7,000.
Buy Refurbished Equipment
If you buy used equipment, make sure that it’s refurbished. Refurbished devices are cleaned, tested, and restored by highly trained biomedical technicians before they (the devices) are put back on the market. Refurbished items also tend to come with better warranties than items simply sold as is.
The Disadvantages
The biggest disadvantage of buying used medical equipment is that it won’t be as easy to find good quality equipment when you’re shopping uses as it is when you’re shopping new. When you’re buying new equipment, you’re paying for the guarantee that it’s never been used and that it will work as advertised for a certain number of years. And if it doesn’t, you get it repaired or replaced for free. This usually does not come with used medical equipment. You can find refurbished equipment with good warranty policies, but you have to do some more shopping around. The return policies on used equipment, also, will not be as liberal. Also, new equipment tends to come with free users training and installation, two things that you’ll rarely find when purchasing used, or even refurbished medical devices.

Choosing the right medical equipment can be mind boggling, but with some specific features and benefits of the equipment you have in mind, you may jumpstart the process. Below are some of the best consumer guides considerations to make the process easier.

Navigating your way through medical equipment

Consumer Guide tip #1 – Go online first and search for what it is that you want. You will have a great array of medical equipment sites, and much to choose from. If you don’t get enough information, vary your search words and try again. With online shopping you don’t need to travel all over the place, but can do your shopping and browsing and get all your information in one spot. You can browse through the sites and make notes without anyone breathing down your neck. You can also inspect equipment close up, check their support and warranties, and speak to other professionals about some of the equipment you are interested in. If the supplier is near your area, that would be even better as you could go and inspect the unit before buying online. However, don’t buy equipment based on the fact that the supplier is near your house; that should be the last of your concerns.

Consumer Guide tip #2 – Choose medical equipment and products from brand names that rank high in good customer service, support and a good warranty.

Consumer Guide tip #3 – There are lots of facts to consider when choosing medical equipment, least of which will be cost. You will be juggling the idea of new equipment as opposed to good used and recertified equipment. This is something to be seriously considered. Base your choice on quality, service, and warranty.

Consumer Guide tip #4 – Consult medical equipment reviews before buying any equipment. Read some of the comments people have left. Speak to other professionals.

Consumer Guide tip #5 – If you are buying several units or devices, try to find a supplier that has almost everything you need, which will save you time and money.

Consumer Guide tip #6 – Ensure that equipment is of the highest quality and that there is ease of operation.

Consumer Guide tip #7 – Read the FAQs or comments on medical equipment sites to gain more knowledge or to read the experiences and/or comments of previous buyers.

A good site to try might be Muvigo Trading, who claim that they don’t have a large mark-up on their equipment, and can beat any other supplier as far as cost for the same equipment. They distribute all kinds of medical equipment to hospitals, medical centers, resellers, engineering firms, and have over 300 manufacturers around the globe with years of experience. They are a one-stop medical warehouse company for all your equipment and disposable products. The range of medical equipment and supplies include electronic beds with many functions, orthopedic traction beds, gynaecology/delivery beds, Multi-functional Anaesthesia Units, Optoelectronic equipment, Pulse Oximeters, Ultrasound scanners, all kinds of defibrillators, infusion pumps, patient monitors, and all types of x-ray equipment.