Introduction

There is rapid progress in almost every field in technology and service, especially in the healthcare industry. Medical professionals should consider the innovations in technology and invest more in their medical practices, hospitals including the dental professionals. They should also know that for delivering the high-quality medical care they should purchase new and advanced devices for their cardiac office, improving their efficiency, and also upgrade their equipment. One of the most important thoughts is to replace the camera with a refurbished, or preowned one, or buying a new.

It is more than significant to stop and think about the immediate imaging needs and decide on a plan for a long-term goal of the medical clinic. Always remember that both, the new camera or a refurbished or preowned one has their pros and cons but try to consider the following tips before a signing the contract.

Let’s see which mistakes to avoid when selecting pre-owned or refurbished nuclear camera:

• Focus on the price vs. a long-term cost of ownership

Many medical professionals will agree that a nuclear gamma camera is a great investment for any office and because of this, it is important to take a look at the price. In some cases, giving priority to the price is a good idea, but only when the medical device still has an acceptable value in terms of service for the price. Refurbished cameras are a great investment because they still have a considerable life left. When the hospital manager thinks about new versus pre-owned or refurbished medical equipment, he/she should also think how much image quality has improved in the past years.

• Considering the possibility to maintain good image quality

A pre-owned or refurbished camera may be working without a doubt, but their image quality and subsequent diagnosis may be less effective. All technicians know that with age the camera’s light pipe will no longer provide the quality effects because of a crack or simply because of the age. The replacement crystal for an older camera may not be found in stores. Even in the new process of refurbishment, the crystals have aged and could become potentially irreparable.  If the hospital’s manager wants to purchase a refurbished camera he should consider this fact.

• Put at risk the HIPAA compliance

The HIPAA compliance is another important consideration. Keep in mind that there are so many cameras which cannot be upgraded to the latest software version and because of this fact; they are no longer supported by their manufacturers. This means that the camera cannot stay connected to the Internet. In some cases, the manufacturer is not able to add additional new programs, and the manager of the hospital is forced to think about buying a completely new software package.

• Failing to consider the true patient volume

This is perhaps the most important factor when deciding to purchase new or pre-owned medical equipment. Not all cardiac medical offices need the camera available five days a week. A good idea for those medical practices which operate two or three days per week is to have a partnership with a mobile imaging practice or lab. The patient volume is a big factor which affects the financial investment of the medical practice.

• Purchasing a camera with a limited usage

The manager of the hospital or a medical office should expand and grow their practice together with the new or pre-owned camera. He or she should think about the fact that the camera should serve the clinic for the current situation and serve the practice in other ways. Sometimes, purchasing a new camera may be a good investment if it moves the clinic forward that has a potential to increase the patient volume and to reach another goal.

• Not performing your own due diligence

The most crucial moment is to know from whom to buy the medical equipment. The best decision is to enter in a partnership with a reputable company which has a proven track record especially when it comes to pre-owned cameras. Always ask to see the camera and to try it out, also ask for service and maintenance records on the unit.

Keep in mind that price should not always be a priority when considering buying a new camera. Consider that the cameras value is worth the money a manager is willing to spend.