Managing any type of medical facility is pricey. Although the healthcare field has limited opportunities to scale back on purchases than other businesses, there are still ways to save money and make intelligent purchases.
A refurbished piece of medical equipment means that expert medical technicians have restored it to its nearly new condition before it was released back to the market.
Here are 5 areas to take into account when deciding to purchase refurbished medical equipment.
1. Monetary & Environmental Costs
Buying used or refurbished medical devices should not be a sacrifice on quality. The truth is, the major differences between brand new and used medical equipment is the cost and how much time you have to invest in order to find a good deal. For every piece of equipment that is available brand new, you will be able to find something similar that is used and at a much reduced price. The equipment can range from stretchers to anesthesia equipment. Buying refurbished medical equipment also reduces the carbon footprint for your medical business — it is a safe and smart way to act in an eco-friendly way in your medical practice.
2. Company Cred
Vetting the company’s credibility that you’re buying from is an important prerequisite. Along with your interest in a particular device, you should also look into the company’s industry experience, years in the business, and refurbishment process. Ask if they specialize in any specific type of equipment.
3. Service
Purchasing and installing the equipment isn’t where the story should end. Ask the company if they have an in-house service department, or biomedical technicians on staff. Are they available around the clock for assistance? Do they have cost-effective maintenance plans?
4. Reliability
When refurbished properly, medical equipment can be extremely reliable and offer significant savings to the facility. As a matter of fact, there are advantages in buying products that have previously been on the market. When you buy the newest, shiniest model of medical equipment, there is less known about it, and unknown problems can arise. This is exactly why some people would not purchase the much anticipated Apple Watch in its first edition — too much risk for such a high price. An older model has had time to be tested and have flaws worked out so you can feel good about the efficacy of what you’ve purchased. If a product is unsafe, it will already be off the market by the time you search for a refurbished model.
5. Talk the talk
Going through the grocery store aisles these days, it’s incredibly confusing trying to understand health lingo and buzz words, and what’s really behind the labels — Organic, Free-Range, Non-GMO, BPA. The same uncertainty can be said for medical equipment. Simply using the term “refurbished” does not mean the same thing across the board. So, when you’re interviewing companies to purchase refurbished equipment, make sure that you’re speaking the same jargon. For example, “Parts Refurbished Equipment” means that it did not meet OEM specifications. Technicians will replace the appropriate parts, then cosmetically refurbish the equipment. “Remanufacturing” means that the units original design was changed. If this is the case and the company does not have FDA approval for this change on the device, they legally cannot do it. This can bring about material quality concerns as well. If a company is advertising “Remanufactured” it is something buyers will likely want to stay away from. Auxo Medical does not do this — instead, we rebuild the units after component level refurbishment. Parts replaced are of OEM specification.
If you’d like to connect with a refurbished medical equipment expert at Auxo Medical, give us a call and we’d be happy to talk through your needs. We have no doubt that you’ll ask all of the right questions.
