{"id":43,"date":"2016-08-30T18:35:41","date_gmt":"2016-08-30T18:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/166.62.116.233\/~radparts\/cpswp\/?p=43"},"modified":"2016-09-01T16:52:32","modified_gmt":"2016-09-01T16:52:32","slug":"maintaining-equipment-while-sticking-to-a-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radparts.com\/cpswp\/part-specials\/maintaining-equipment-while-sticking-to-a-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"Maintaining Equipment While Sticking To A Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the field of radiation oncology there is always a constant battle between bringing the best treatment options to patients while maintaining equilibrium to the budget.\u00a0 In this latest installment we will continue to look into strategies that can help medical facilities that are struggling to find ways to reduce oncology costs while working to maintain quality.<\/p>\n

In our last article we looked into purchasing refurbished linear accelerators and CT scanners to reduce the initial expense of large scaled medical equipment.\u00a0 Today we will look in to two different cost saving ideas: using existing equipment longer and contracting independent oncology equipment repair specialists to repair and maintain radiology equipment.<\/p>\n

When facilities hold off on large purchases, such as buying a linear accelerator, it allows them to allocate their budget into other areas such as patient care, facility upkeep and the medical team itself.\u00a0 The downside being that the latest technology available may not be in use.\u00a0 That issue can be addressed in numerous ways such as regularly updating equipment software and performing regular maintenance tasks.\u00a0 When performing these in conjunction with one another, facilities find that they can keep up with the upgrades found in newer equipment.<\/p>\n

It is imperative that all equipment within the facility meets all of the manufacturer requirements for maintenance.\u00a0 When maintenance is being performed on any large or small oncology equipment it is necessary that it is done by individuals who have been trained to service the model that is in use.\u00a0 This is an absolute necessity.\u00a0 Not all radiology equipment is created equally and therefore need to be serviced by professionals knowledgeable of your exact models service maintenance requirements.<\/p>\n

Another strategy that can be employed for reducing oncology costs is to hire an ISO to maintain and service equipment rather than locking into an unnecessary contract.\u00a0 An ISO can offer a substantial savings while ensuring service on demand at a lower cost.\u00a0 The upsides of hiring an ISO are plentiful.\u00a0 Not only can it save the facility money but time.\u00a0 Time is of the essence when maintenance or repairs are performed on large scaled medical equipment.<\/p>\n

When hiring an independent service organization<\/a> take time to ask the following questions to make sure that the priorities of the ISO are similar to those of your medical organization.<\/p>\n