Outpatient Surgery Magazine

In & Out - May 2017 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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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." OSM M a y 2 0 1 7 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 6 5

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