Ventilators are equipment used to supplement respiratory function. They provide ventilatory support or assistance to patients who are unable to breathe on their own or who require assistance to maintain adequate ventilation due to illness, trauma, or drugs (eg, anaesthesia).
The decision to purchase a ventilator is important for health facilities. Therefore, careful consideration of factors need to be done before a purchase is made. Whether new or refurbished. This article narrows down 5 of the most important factors to consider before committing to making a ventilator purchase.
- Cost:
When considering cost, there are many bases to cover beyond just the price. Initial price or cost of the ventilator may not accurately reflect total cost of ownership. When deciding to buy a ventilator, one must as well take into consideration the life cycle cost, service costs against non price related benefits. Some questions to consider are:
- What is the average maintenance cost?
- Is the cost of replacement of consumables high?
- Are there similar products or models with similar features and lesser prices?
- Are the features worth the asked price?
- Use Cases:
Another equally important point to consider is what the use cases are for the ventilator to be purchased. It is important to consider the patient population and operational needs of the facility. You must evaluate the needs of your health facility and see how the ventilator addresses this need. Here are some questions to consider:
- Who are the patients at my health facility?
- How often is a ventilator required in my health facility?
- Does my facility possess the necessary infrastructure to support the ventilator?
- What features are available on each model and what are they designed for?
- Do these features fit the needs of my patients and my health facility?
- Warranties and Service Contracts:
For added peace of mind, it is important to check the warranty and return policy on all considered ventilators. Review manufacturer’s warranty and support options, conditions and time periods. Then, compare across various manufacturers and models. Also, terms of service contracts should be considered if they exist. It is advised that stakeholders negotiate the cost of service contracts before equipment purchase is made.
- Features, Function, and Ease of Use:
The importance of specific features in a ventilator can vary depending on the clinical context and the patient’s condition. It is important to choose ventilators that are adaptable to a wide range of patient needs and also specific to the facility’s use cases. Ventilators with simpler user interfaces and are easy to use should be prioritised.
- End users:
The skill level of the technicians who will be operating the equipment should also be considered. The ventilator under consideration may be from a new manufacturer who is not well known to the team. Consider the cost of training the staff, and what on-line support, training and education various manufacturers offer. Technicians must also be able to optimise clinical protocols while using them.
- Technical support and system updates
The ventilator you are purchasing should come with the proper terms and conditions for technical support and system updates. These are generally included in an expensive service contract. Since there are alternatives available to the traditional service contract, it is very important to negotiate the system upgrade and technical support at the time of the initial purchase.
Having considered all these, you can create a criteria rating scale which you can use to evaluate the different ventilators under consideration. Each factor can be assigned a certain value and be evaluated to ease the process of decision making.
In conclusion, buying a ventilator is an important decision and investment in a health facility. All important factors should be meticulously screened and considered. To ensure that the end the decision is one that appropriately meets the needs of the health facility in question.
