New Equipment Purchasing

OVERVIEW

Important issues:

• Assess need
• Determine specific model
• Funding
• Purchase and implementation
• Education
• Assess benefits

ASSESS NEED

• What purpose will equipment serve
• How many required
• Inadequacies or lack of current equipment
• Who made the request for replacement and what are their specific concerns

DETERMINE SPECIFIC MODEL

Features

• Functions
• Size
• Availability of upgrades
• Compatibility with other equipment in department/institution
• Compliance with National standards, Health policy and Hospital policy
• User friendly

Support

• Training
• Warranty (replacement or fix on site)
• Service commitments
• Access to parts

Cost

• Establish best value model for department’s requirements

FUNDING

• Include in departmental annual budget (for replacement of items only)
• Apply for special funding
  — Formal application for tied grant
• Institution
• Local government
  — Provide cost-benefit analysis

PURCHASE AND IMPLEMENTATION

• Delivery
• Physical implementation
  — Brackets, power supply, safety issues
  — Location in department

EDUCATION

• Education of nursing and medical staff
  — By manufacturer
  — Ongoing education by senior nursing and medical staff
• Regular updates and revision
  — Implementation into quality assurance loop
• Continuous data retrieval
• Review and revise

ASSESS BENEFITS

Audit

• Number of times used
• Adverse outcomes
• Equipment malfunction

Satisfaction surveys

• Staff
• Patient

Cost-benefit analysis