By Nancy Vacante

Tighter purse strings resulting from pressures to improve margins, combined with complex purchasing processes, can make investing in new equipment a challenge. As more health care facilities hold onto endoscopy equipment longer, maintenance costs often associated with aging equipment also continue to rise. Facilities may argue preventive maintenance in the form of a service plan is an unnecessary upfront cost — especially when staring at shiny new equipment — but maintaining a maintenance regimen is important for extending the life of a facility’s workhorse equipment.

Intermittent servicing or ignoring seemingly harmless issues may only cause additional downtime and higher repair costs as these issues worsen. Increased downtime resulting from frequent equipment repairs can lead to a loss of revenue due to canceled procedures, and loss of patient referrals if cancellations become frequent. Patient satisfaction scores may even take a hit if procedures are canceled. Through preventive maintenance, health care facilities can benefit from improved uptime, capitated repair cost and priority service, if on contract, reducing the service spend overall for aging equipment.



When deciding on a service contract, be sure to consult the equipment’s “Instructions for Use” for guidance on repairs. Using the OEM for preventive maintenance and repair service for proprietary equipment parts is tied to infection control. Parts and materials both play a role in everything from the equipment’s precise rotation and flexibility during a procedure, to withstanding precise temperatures and chemical compounds during reprocessing.

Also, don’t hesitate to request a tour of your service provider’s repair center to see the process and the team that supports your facility’s endoscopy equipment. See firsthand the repair methods, tools and technology used to return your device to OEM standards. Other factors to consider when deciding on a service contract include:

• The service level of the contract:What are the agreed-upon terms outlining service performance? Do they include the specified time frame for when the service provider would repair a device or respond to your calls?
• The price of the contract:What repair/ maintenance services are included in the contract? What does the fine print say? What does the contract exclude?
• How will service under the contract affect future renewal rates? Let's say your facility has a solid preventive maintenance plan in place and you want to justify an investment in new equipment. How do you know whether an endoscope is a candidate for continued use, or is past its prime and ready for replacement? When determining whether to replace your equipment or hang on a little longer, it is important to evaluate the new technology features and advantages, as well as several relevant factors, including: your facility type, the number of procedure rooms, case volume projections and procedural mix, equipment age, utilization rates and repair histories. The number and frequency of procedure-start delays and cancellations resulting from unavailable equipment, as well as reprocessing capacity limitations, should also figure into your calculations.

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