Medical-grade Linear accelerators are investments, not an
impulse buy. That being said, a linear accelerator is a very important tool in
any oncologist office. Owners of a medical oncologist clinic have the option of
purchasing a new linac system or invest in a used system, and there are
advantages and disadvantages for both. You can essentially break the
parameters into three (or more) situations:
Your Office Space
The space and size of your medical office or clinic is a
good factor when deciding to go either used or new for a linac system. Smaller
clinics will benefit from a used system, especially those with a small
client-base that don’t move through more than a handful of patients a day. This
also pertains to offices that are new and just getting started, or established
offices that are small in space. Offices and clinics just starting up can go
with a used system at first and upgrade to a brand-new system when the profits
call for it.
Your Intentions
Not all offices and clinics revolve heavily around the use
of a linac, but rather use it sparingly. This is a simple reason to go with a
used system over a new one. Operating these systems can get expensive, and offices
that heavily use a linac system with all the bells and whistles accompanying it
have better use for a shiny new device. Conversely, those offices or clinics
that only use it sparingly can go with a used model that is more stripped down
to a model precisely tuned for their needs. You also may be a new office with
the intention of having a higher-level model in the future, but current-day
budgets don’t allow it, which calls for a more budget-friendly used system.
Your Experience
Is your office or clinic moving? Do you have any intention
of moving in the next year or so? Are you generally a busier clinic with many
patients? New linac systems are great for busier and more modern clinics but
for those with the need for backup units a used system is better to keep on
hand for when a new system breaks down, especially with all the parts that go into such a device.
Similarly, if you’re a clinic that has plans to move everything it may be
easier for the future if you go with a used system that will be installed only
to be uninstalled for a big move. Even higher-tiered clinics can find
themselves moving, so this is something to keep in mind when setting up a
clinic initially when starting up.
Medical grade linear accelerators are a product in which all
oncologist clinics should be investing. That being said, making a purchase can
be smarter when going with a used system rather than new; it just depends on
your office space, intentions with the system, and overall experience of
running your clinic.
Radparts is the world’s largest independent distributor
of OEM replacement parts for
Linear Accelerators and Radiation Oncology equipment. Radparts
provides high quality, user friendly, low cost parts and support for linear
accelerators and radiation equipment. More information can be found at https://www.radparts.com/.
