Patient Monitoring Equipment

This month, TechNation asked the experts about purchasing and servicing patient monitoring equipment. Responders include Mike Balakonis, co-owner of MedEquip Biomedical; Will Fox, Welch Allyn’s Director of Marketing, US&C, Acute Care; and Brad Salisbury, a patient monitoring technician at Integrity Biomedical.

What were the most significant changes or advances last year in the patient monitoring equipment market?

Balakonis: I see more and more wireless being integrated. All patient monitors will be manufactured with the capability of tying into a hospital’s IT system and remote patient monitoring outside the clinical environment to minimize costs and shorten hospital stays. Remote patient monitoring will continue to become more prevalent.

Fox: One significant change over the last year that affects not only patient monitoring but capital equipment in general is the shift from a “Fee for Service” reimbursement model to an across the board focus on outcomes in patient safety, patient satisfaction, and productivity. Customers are looking for manufacturers that can add value (and reduce costs) instead of added features to existing products.

This change in reimbursement focus has seen advances in the last year has caused to a degree the emergence of early warning scores or smart alarms to alert clinicians of the deterioration of patient condition so that intervention can be initiated in a timely fashion.

Another trend that we have seen is in the creation of asset management tools (similar to those traditionally seen for IT equipment) that are targeted at patient monitoring equipment. The ability to service, maintain and upgrade existing equipment is a growing concern among hospital staff as they attempt recognize a more positive ROI for their investment.

Salisbury: For us, it was that more hospitals added refurbished patient monitors to existing systems to meet expanding equipment needs on a budget. With reduced capital equipment budgets, we found that many hospitals were realizing refurbished just made more sense. This year, we witnessed more demand for refurbished equipment to supplement existing systems. Most of that business came from hospitals that had previously only used us for our depot repair service. They trust us for repair, so that leads to purchases of our refurbished equipment.

How will those changes affect the patient monitoring equipment market in the future? how will they affect equipment maintenance?

Balakonis: I think OEMs will adopt a more licensed software approach, possibly allowing hospitals to choose any PC as the mainframe for a patient monitor, leaving just the front-end human interface and software as proprietary. The effect it will have on service providers is that better PC and IT skills will have to be learned.

Fox: These changes are forcing manufacturers to demonstrate how they can positively impact key patient safety initiatives, improve clinician efficiency, and reduce overall costs associated with patient care. Those that do not attach themselves to one of these top issues will struggle long term.

Equipment maintenance will become an even bigger focus for biomedical engineering as they look for solutions and devices that are upgradable to meet the changing needs of their clinicians. Solutions that offer easier ways to provide software upgrades, conduct equipment calibrations and device status will have an edge.

Salisbury: A lot of times refurbished equipment companies offer better warranties than the manufacturers, so going refurbished saves money both up front and on the back side with repair costs. With more hospitals choosing to go with refurbished equipment, companies like ours are witnessing growth on both the equipment sales and service sides. Many manufacturers offer only a one-year warranty, and we’ve done 18 months to two years, depending on the customer’s needs and the age of the equipment. That warranty covers depot repair, parts and labor. With depot repair we have a flat repair rate, and we also provide free loaner equipment. The trend is toward keeping equipment running longer, and supplementing existing systems with refurbished add-ons.

Many hospitals are adopting patient monitoring systems that use advanced algorithms to evaluate patient measurements and automatically update patient records. while this new technology can increase efficiency, there are some significant barriers to its adoption. How can biomeds help address these barriers?

Balakonis: If you are a biomedical professional, you must get involved in the decision making process, including aspects often overlooked, such as ensuring that service schools, manuals, spare units and parts are included with a patient monitoring acquisition.

Fox: One area where biomeds can help is in identifying solutions and systems that complement, not detract from, clinician workflow. When new technologies or connectivity solutions add additional steps or time to a clinician’s activity, the added value will be perceived as minimal and adoption will be significantly reduced. Workflow impact should be a key metric used in the selection of these solutions.

Read more in the March 2013 issue of TechNation Magazine.