EBay has teamed with Andover, Mass-based InnoCentive Inc to offer the medical community an efficient way to purchase equipment online. EBay has offered medical test and measurement devices for some time. Now, used, refurbished, and new imaging equipment—ranging from ultrasound equipment to x-ray film processors—can be purchased from anywhere in the world via the Internet.

“The category offers a solution for smaller practices that can’t afford to purchase the equipment directly from the OEMs,” said Jordan Glazier, general manager of eBay Business. “InnoCentive provides an avenue for these types of buyers to reach us and purchase the types of equipment they need.”

According to Glazier, the average price for equipment bought through the site is anywhere from 29% to 70% less than if bought through conventional avenues. And with time being an issue, especially within the medical industry, eBay offers Buy It Now, a feature that allows customers to forego the bidding process in order to purchase the item instantly.

“We’ve seen a high adoption for this fixed-price format,” Glazier adds. “We’ve found that the buyers for these types of equipment love being able to find what they are looking for, at a price they can afford, and then have the ability to buy it on the spot.”

Naturally, when purchasing anything from an unknown source, quality is a concern. And for those purchasing medical equipment online, that concern is amplified when coupled with a concern for safety.

“Each seller posting on the site has to verify that it is a certified medical facility, and the same goes for those who are purchasing the equipment,” Glazier explained. “We work with the FDA [US Food and Drug Administration] to make sure all the rules and regulations are in place for exchanging these types of machines in this kind of market.”

Purchasing the products online is just the beginning. For many small practices considering this avenue for obtaining equipment, the purchasing is the simple part. The more difficult decisions are how to ship the equipment and what installation and service contracts will be involved.

“What we’ve found is that most medical facilities have their own service providers that they’ve been able to form relationships with over the years,” Glazier said. “The feedback for this entire segment of the purchase has been extremely positive. The companies buying the equipment are able to have someone they trust install and service the equipment, while the service companies love the extra business. It works out for everyone involved.”

While at the clinic, Jeff Fregger, a Conquest field service engineer, spoke with administrators and nurses who care for expectant mothers. “According to the professionals at the clinic, it is believed that when a pregnant woman views her baby on the ultrasound monitor, she has a positive attitude with regard to becoming a mother,” says Fregger. “This revelation actually results in an increased awareness to prenatal care.”

In fact, report sources at the Concord clinic, 90% of women who have an ultrasound choose to follow their pregnancy through to full term.

As a result of the tremendous impact viewing an unborn child through ultrasound has on pregnant women, Conquest Imaging has donated a refurbished Acuson 128 XP ultrasound system and various other machines to the clinic. When the machine was first introduced to the market several years ago, it had an estimated value of $250,000. The company has also agreed to service the donated equipment at no charge.

“The Concord clinic had only two machines before our donation. We feel that if seeing an image of an unborn child influences the health and well-being of both mother and child, then we are going to make it as easy as possible for clinics to offer the procedure,” says Mark Conrad, president of Conquest Imaging. “It’s heartwarming to think that our machines have a direct contribution to someone’s life.”

Through its work with the Concord clinic, the company has recognized women’s health as a critical issue throughout the country. As a result, Conquest has expanded its charitable contributions to include a health care clinic in Woodland, Calif. The company has donated an entire ultrasound system to the Woodland clinic and also is working with a similar clinic in Chicago.

“It’s not about dollars and cents,” adds Conrad. “The work these clinics do is extremely important. If this is what it takes to support these expectant mothers in keeping themselves and their babies healthy, then it becomes an easy decision to offer our company’s resources.”

“Patient safety is an essential part of quality of care,” says Ode Keil, president of the Ode Keil Consulting Group. “As the ability to treat high-risk patients increases, it has become more critical to rely on technology. In many cases, the technology detects impending harm sooner than humans. Unless alarms used to notify the humans of the impending harm are managed correctly, we have failed the patient.”

JCAHO accredited organizations were required to comply with a set of six National Patient Safety Goals effective January 1, 2003. Many organizations have had questions about which goals apply to their organization and how to comply with the requirements.

“We’ve received a fair amount of requests for this kind of information,” says Joe Rebot, vice president of sales and marketing for Clinical Dynamics. “So we view the development of the guide as a strong tool for the industry.”

A copy of the guide can be downloaded from Clinical Dynamics’ Web site, www.clinicaldynamics.com.

The meeting’s agenda includes discussions and decisions made on bylaws and benefits and the direction the association will be taking in the future. Attendees can also participate in informational roundtable discussions and are invited to a hosted dinner.

For more information, visit META at www.mymeta.org.