Refurbished microscopes: A cost-effective way to outfit your hospital

In 2018, a clinical journal article reported that hospitals in the United States spent almost $200 billion on medical equipment. After personnel and administrative expenditures, supply costs—including those for medical devices—represent one of the highest costs for healthcare institutions. {Supply budget spending accounts for 25 to 33 percent of hospital operating costs for medicine and surgery.|These budgets are responsible for a third to 25 percent of all hospital operating costs involving medicine and surgery.

Unfortunately, in a post-pandemic economy, hospital budgets are low. It is crucial that hospitals seek the best ways to purchase quality medical equipment that won’t cause them to break the bank.

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The different types of medical equipment

There are many types of medical equipment and supplies. There are electronic, surgical, durable medical equipment (DME), storage and transport and many other subcategories.

When hospitals decide to spend money on new medical equipment, it is vital that they maintain it and that it continues to be useful. Maintenance, training and repairs are essential to allow you to get the most value from your medical equipment. But medical equipment repair and services are just as important to promote long-term usage.

Some hospitals have the money to periodically replace and update their medical equipment. Others struggle to spend large sums of money on brand new equipment. If you work with an expert repair service that offers exceptional repairs to medical equipment, you will save money by buying a used microscope or other device.

The high cost of surgical microscopes

Surgical microscopes will continue to grow at a rate of more than 10.7% from 2012 to 2027. With the rising numbers of car accidents, chronic disease, and increase in orthopedic surgical procedures, the call for more microscope equipment availability is rising exponentially. Unfortunately, operating microscopes are expensive, leaving many healthcare centers unable to meet the level of care their patients expect.

Getting a good deal from a company that specializes in offering refurbished microscopes to help your hospital spend less on its equipment but also improve the quality of the services that your hospital offers.

Why refurbished is cheaper and better

Refurbished medical equipment means putting used medical equipment back on the market. While the equipment has been used by the medical sector previously, it does not mean that it is presented in any condition that would otherwise affect its function.

On the contrary, every refurbished microscope goes through a meticulous process during which the equipment is upgraded to meet the current OEM specifications. Refurbished surgical microscopes are reported to save between 30 and 50 percent compared to buying new equipment. In a time when costs are being reduced, every facility is seriously considering them as a long-term investment.

In this way, refurbishing a microscope is not just a case of someone doing a regular service to fix it; it is much more involved than buying a cheap replacement. When you purchase a refurbished microscope, you are guaranteed of the following:

• The microscope reutilized up to 90% of its original material, which keeps costs low

The equipment is not obsolete, as it’s been processed to meet the current OEM standards

• The microscope is under warranty, even though it isn’t a brand new item

• The purchase has a low environmental impact

When hospitals are facing high costs and high needs, reconditioned equipment such as surgical microscopes from a company like Prescott’s Inc., can help them save money and preserve important hospital functions.