Outsourcing Medical Equipment Maintenance

Medical facilities need to depend on outside medical equipment service providers when in-house service specialists are not on staff.  Regular maintenance, including preventative and corrective measures, needs to be done to keep medical equipment safe and running smoothly.  Updating software and worn parts adds to the longevity of medical equipment thus resulting in savings for your facility.

Many facilities try to cut corners by having personnel perform regular maintenance and minor repairs.  While this may occasionally work it is always better to enter into a service contract with a third party service company or equipment vendor to perform corrective and preventative maintenance.  A service contract will ensure that your equipment is maintained at regular intervals.  This will help to combat against unexpected machine failures.  There are several options when choosing a service contract.  We will look into the options below.

Third Party Equipment Service Contracts Available To Medical Facilities

• 24/7 Full Coverage: A medical facility can request services anytime, day or night.
• Business Hour Coverage: With this type of service contract a medical center will receive service during normal business hours, five days a week for eight hours a day.
• Extended Business Hour Coverage: This service contract offers the same coverage as business hour coverage except that it covers more than eight hours.  If your facility is open from nine in the morning until nine at night this would be one of the contract options to consider.
• Extended Business Hour and Weekend Coverage: Similar to the above except it adds hours to cover facilities on the weekend.
• Preventative Maintenance Coverage: This type of service contract only covers planned maintenance and does not cover unplanned corrective services.
• Time and Material Coverage: A time and material coverage contract is where a service provider is paid based on the actual cost of parts and labor used. This contract is usually based on a specific cost per hour of labor.
• Loaner Service Contract Coverage: This type of contract allows medical facilities to return the unit to the vendor and the vendor provides a loaner unit until the equipment is returned to its original state. This is a difficult service contract to have in place with large scaled equipment such as linear accelerators and ct scanners.

In our next installment on medical equipment service contracts we will discuss tips on negotiating a contract that best meets your facilities needs while maintaining a reasonable budget.

Cutting Costs Without A Decrease In Quality

Medical centers are always looking for ways to cut costs when it comes to maintaining, repairing and purchasing new equipment.  This article includes the top ways that hospitals and medical facilities can cut costs while continuing to improve quality care and patient outcomes.

The best way to save money in any industry is to continuing using the equipment that is already owned.  It is common for medical facilities to outsource medical equipment support services.  Using external service providers while having reliable support in house, otherwise known as clinical engineers, keeps equipment running at peak performance.  Simple in house adjustments and simple repairs can save a tremendous amount of money.  Not only are you saving on the cost of outsourced vendor services but also on the costs associated with any downtime experienced with medical equipment failure.

Support can be provided in a number of ways including in person and remote services.  Instead of assuming your issue can only be resolved by having a technician come out to your facility ask about less expensive remote services.  Many repairs can be accomplished through a remote technician.  Through the remote session the technician can diagnosis if the equipment can be resolved with simple tweaks or if service personnel are needed on site.  Most medical equipment vendors can offer support remotely twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.  Many times on staff clinical engineers can even repair equipment with the support of the remote operator.  The nature of remote services allows the vendor to support more than one client at a time thus costing less for remote services.

Instead of working directly with the original equipment manufacturer, OEM, consider getting support from trusted third party medical equipment repair support service specialists.  Working with OEMs tends to be more costly and take significantly more time then services using a third party vendor.  This is a simple way to have necessary services performed on equipment while maintaining patient care.

One of the most effective ways that medical facilities can save money when it comes to large, specialized medical equipment is to make sure that regular maintenance is performed.  Imaging equipment including linear accelerators and ct scanners are known for having particularly long life cycles.  It is in the best interest of facilities to take advantage of this benefit.  Scheduling proper maintenance and timely repairs allows facilities to get the most out of expensive medical equipment.

Radparts is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts for Linear Accelerators and Radiation Oncology equipment.  We provide high quality, user friendly, low cost parts support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment.  For more information on low cost parts for repairing Linac equipment find us at http://www.radparts.com.

Proper Maintenance and Care For Medical Equipment Part One

Medical equipment is costly and often requires a great deal of budgeting to purchase.  Even if the facility is able to find refurbished medical equipment it should be assumed that it will be rather pricey.  Gently used medical equipment that has gone through stringent refurbishing is one way that facilities can help cut costs.  It is important to remember that proper maintenance and regular care of refurbished medical equipment is as important if not more important than that of brand new equipment for medical use.

Proper maintenance and care is crucial for equipment that is used in the treatment of patients.  Daily use wears equipment down quickly.  In order to achieve the best results for patient care equipment must be kept functioning properly.  If equipment is not maintained facilities run the risk of constant malfunctions and breakdowns leading to a decrease in customer care which makes the practice seem unreliable.  Here are some valuable maintenance and care tips to help get your facility on the right track.

Appropriate Management

The way that facilities care and use medical equipment daily will predict how long the machine will last.  Improper use of sensitive medical equipment on regular basis will set the machine up for malfunction and failure.  Medical equipment should only be used as directed by the original manufacturer.  When medical equipment is used in a way that is not recommended there is a greater risk of harm to the patient as well as to the equipment operator.

Follow Manufacturer Procedures

When medical equipment is purchased, whether it is new or refurbished it is crucial that the manufacturer’s instructions on proper use and maintenance are included.   The manual will show a plan for regular diagnostics, updates to software and will advise facilities on hiring professional technicians to inspect and care for the equipment. It is important that the manufacturer’s guideline is followed. This will ensure that machine failure and snafus are kept to a minimum.

In the next installment on maintenance and care of medical equipment we will discuss contracting medical technicians, in house maintenance and warranties.  It is important to protect your investment.  Medical equipment is expensive and not easily replaced.  With the main objective of medical facilities being reliable, affordable patient care it is crucial that each piece of medical equipment is kept up to date, running as expected, providing proper diagnostics and keeping patient care at the highest level possible. 

Radparts is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts for Linear Accelerators and Radiation Oncology equipment.  We provide high quality, user friendly, low cost parts support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment.  For more information on low cost parts for repairing Linac equipment find us at http://www.radparts.com.

Precise Cancer Treatment Found With Linear Accelerators

In the year 1956 the first medical linear accelerator was used in treatment for the first time in the Western Hemisphere. It was developed at Stanford. As technology continues to advance, LINAC equipment is keeping track as the most superior radiation therapy option that is obtainable today. Linear accelerators manufacture and distribute radiation with undeniable exactness that until 1956 was unavailable. Treatment using LINAC equipment is precise up to the millimeter.

Linear accelerator, with its advanced technology is used in all the most advanced radiation treatments. Working in conjunction with computers LINAC equipment can create highly sophisticated, goal oriented radiation therapy treatments including intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and intra-operative radiation therapy (IORT).

Revolutionary treatments are altering the ways in which cancer is being treated. Radiation therapy is now an option for numerous types of cancers. More cancer patients than ever before can take advantage of the radiation therapies available today. Exactly what is it about radiation therapy using linear accelerator technology that makes this possible?

Radiation oncologist therapists take images using digitized technology, both two dimensional and three dimensional images, to layout where the cancerous tumors lay within the healthy surrounding tissues and organs. This allows for incredibly targeted radiation treatment for the cancerous tumor without affecting the healthy tissues and organs surrounding it. With the accuracy of linear accelerator equipment patients are only required to hold still for approximately ten minutes while they receive the targeted treatment.

Interfacing with computers, LINAC equipment can create highly developed, objective radiation therapy treatments. The computer systems are advanced enough that the technology stores information about the patients and the treatment they are receiving to help oncologists and radiation therapists chart a detailed course of action to follow.

The benefits of using linear accelerators in radiation treatment over other options are abundant. One of the most basic advantages is the benefit of comfort and personalization. To ensure that cancer patients receiving treatment are as comfortable as possible while receiving treatment they are given full sized molds that have been personalized to their exact specifications. This allows patients the ability to be stabilized during radiation therapy treatments. When treating cancers in the brain a full sized mask is fitted to the patients face to allow it to sit comfortably in the position that is the most optimal for treatment. Most facilities also allow radiation technologists sooth patients by playing music during treatment as well.

Radparts is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts for Linear Accelerators and Radiation Oncology equipment.  We provide high quality, user friendly, low cost parts support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment.  For more information on low cost parts for repairing Linac equipment find us at http://www.radparts.com.

Curtail Equipment Expenses While Keeping Up With The Latest Technology

Nothing is inexpensive when it comes to purchasing equipment for medical use.  Medical facilities are in a constant battle to decrease expenses while maintaining quality.  This is especially difficult when it comes to radiation oncology where cutting edge equipment, such as linear accelerators and CT scanners can easily cost millions of dollars.  It is essential that facilities search for different ways to reduce expenses and cap costs.

In the following installment we will discuss three different options medical facilities both big and small can provide top notch services to stay competitive without sacrificing the delivery and quality of care.  One way that medical facilities seek to do this is by purchasing refurbished linear accelerators and CT scanners.

Medical facilities can curtail equipment expenditures while keeping up with updates in technology, improving safety, providing more precise treatments and streamline work flow by budgeting for and purchasing refurbished equipment.  This is an extremely attractive alternative to purchasing brand new equipment especially when you can arrange to procure similar models to what is currently being used in your facility.  Using similar model equipment to what is already in use saves money on training.  It also reduces the amount of time that is usually lost when adopting to a new piece of equipment.

Refurbished equipment can offer the same performance and reliability as new equipment at a discount.  Choosing a reputable supplier that specializes in radiology equipment while also offering installation and maintenance services medical facilities save a great deal of money without any sacrifice.

Before seeking to purchase new refurbished medical equipment it is imperative that the decision makers in charge of purchasing get answers to seven very important questions.  These include:

• Can we purchase refurbished equipment? If so, what is the process of refurbishing that the radiology oncology equipment we are seeking goes through?  Are the parts thoroughly tested?
• Should we be able to expect that the refurbished medical equipment, either a linear accelerator or CT scanner, perform according to the manufacturer’s original specifications?
• Will the equipment comes with any warranties or guarantees covering parts and labor?
• Will the supplier that the refurbished oncology equipment is purchased from also be able to perform the installation? What about future maintenance?
• What has the overall reaction to this model been? Have facilities that are using this model reported any ongoing issues?
• Do they have a radiation test cell? Will full beam testing be done prior to installation within the medical facility?
• What is the company’s reputation in the industry? Are you able to speak with other medical facilities that have been provided refurbished equipment and services from the supplier?

In our next installment we will continue looking into ways that medical organizations can save money when looking into reducing expenses in their medical equipment budgets while keeping up-to date with advances in technology in the field of radiation oncology.

Radparts is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts for Linear Accelerators and Radiation Oncology equipment.  We provide high quality, user friendly, low cost parts support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment.  For more information on low cost parts for repairing Linac equipment find us at http://www.radparts.com.

Hiring Professionals To Maintain and Repair Medical Equipment

Most individuals experience a sense of confidence when it comes to making repairs to their personal items. Some car owners enjoy doing their own automobile repairs. The same is true of many homeowners; they thrive on being capable to keep up on the maintenance and improvements that need to be made around their homes. It is important for many individuals to do this type of work on their own because of the money it saves overtime. Think about the amount of money that could be saved if you didn’t need to hire a mechanic or contractor each time something wasn’t working.

Do-it-yourself maintenance and repairs are not always so simple in other areas. Once such field that requires experts is when medical equipment needs to be maintained or repaired. In order for a professional to be trained to repair equipment throughout medical facilities such as linear accelerators and CT scanners they will need a specialized education. This can be obtained through many community college or vocational schools. Individuals that service medical equipment are referred to as biomedical equipment technicians.

Some hospitals or medical facilities will have a full time staff member that is equipped to handle all of the maintenance and repairs that need to be done throughout the facility on large scaled medical equipment. They are on staff and available to fix malfunctioning equipment immediately. However, in many circumstances hospitals and medical facilities are functioning on a budget therefore relying on biomedical equipment technicians who work on contract or are available for on call service.

Immediate response to medical equipment repairs is necessary. Patient’s lives rely in this equipment to be up and running properly for treatment and diagnosis. If machines are functioning improperly or not at all nurses and physicians risk making critical mistakes. When individual lives are at stake there is absolutely no room for any errors especially from the machines that set out to help them. In the health field, biomedical technicians and the work that they do are critical to the day to day operations of the facility.

It takes quite a few people throughout medical facilities and hospitals to keep the everyday flow running smoothly. Medical equipment that is operating properly allows radiologists to offer patients proper diagnostics and treatments. It takes many trained professionals to ensure that medical equipment is in proper working order. Routine maintenance and proper repairs made the first time around by trained professionals has a significant contribution to the overall health and wellbeing of patients.

Radparts is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts for Linear Accelerators and Radiation Oncology equipment. We provide high quality, user friendly, low cost parts support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. For more information on low cost parts for repairing Linac equipment find us athttp://www.radparts.com.

Benefits Of Outsourcing Medical Equipment Repairs

In medical facilities there is a great debate when it comes to outsourcing and the hospitals bottom line. Leaders within the biomedical equipment repair industry agree on the overwhelming advantages that come with outsourcing.  The advantages of outsourcing discussed within this article also apply to several other departments within the healthcare industry.  In order to achieve long term goals amongst deep budget cuts medical facilities must create a solid foundation in asset management across the board including medical equipment service strategies.

Three Major Benefits of Outsourcing Biomedical Equipment Repair and MaintenanceStrategies

Lower Operating Expenses:  This seems like an obvious benefit of outsourcing but many individuals overlook it when evaluating the concept on a whole.  Outsourcing allows medical facilities to retain less personal, reducing operating expenses while increasing the results gained through experienced vendors.  Without the need to hire and train these highly specialized personnel resources labor and operating costs can be reduced.

Outsourcing leaves the vendors responsible for providing highly skilled, trained individuals to repair medical equipment at a moment’s notice.  These services can be paid for on an as needed basis instead of the facility being required to pay the salary and ongoing benefits that they would need to pay a full time biomedical equipment repair specialist.  Thus saving the facility the expense of recruiting, training and the exceptionally expensive extras involved in maintaining a staff of professionals to maintain, care for and repair specialized equipment similar to linear accelerators and CT scanners.

Quality: With the ongoing changes and growth in the technology of medical devices it is crucial to have access to biomed service technicians that are up to date on training and available immediately.  Qualified technicians are vital in keeping life saving equipment functioning properly and providing accurate test results.  Outsourcing allows medical facilities to contract skilled biomed equipment repair specialists to accurately maintain, efficiently diagnosis and repair equipment in a timely manner thus keeping life saving equipment functioning properly.

Capital Budgeting: In order for all businesses to function and grow it is vital that medical facilities, large or small, manage all of their assets, including personal, in an efficient manner.  It is crucial that in-house programs as well as those that are outsourced are prioritized.

There are so many ways in which it makes sense to outsource the area of biomed equipment repair services including lower operating expenses, quality technicians while assisting medical facilities of all sizes to remain vital and competitive.

Radparts is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts for Linear Accelerators and Radiation Oncology equipment.  We provide high quality, user friendly, low cost parts support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment.  For more information on low cost parts for repairing Linac equipment find us at http://www.radparts.com.