INSURANCE INSIGHTS Œ Environmental issues, such as safe and legal waste disposal capabilities. Œ Compatibility with existing equipment and/or systems. Œ Ergonomic and operational factors, including handling safety, ease of use, intuitive controls and reasonable maintenance requirements. Œ Presence of alarms and/or other user awareness and antifatigue safety features. Œ Ease of transport in case of practice relocation. Œ Vendor proximity to expedite on-site response to problems. Œ Compliance with applicable state inspection/survey requirements. 4. Request references and follow up on them. By talking to other healthcare clients, prospective purchasers can obtain more objective information about the vendor’s performance, which can help establish the company’s suitability for the task at hand. Inquire about experiences before, during and after the product acquisition, asking such questions as: Œ What is/was your relationship with the vendor? Œ Is the vendor aware of the needs and concerns of a typical medical practice? Œ Did the vendor listen closely and respond to your specific needs? Œ Did the vendor keep promises, including costs, time frames and post-purchase service? Œ Did the product and accompanying vendor services represent good value? Œ Did the vendor ever disappoint you, and if so, in what respect? Œ How did this particular purchase compare with similar experiences? Œ Has there been adequate staff training and post-acquisition follow-up? Œ How does/did the vendor respond to complaints or concerns? Œ Should the vendor have done anything differently? 5. Arrange product demonstrations. On-site demonstrations permit providers to judge the product’s capabilities in a real-life setting. In return for this service, equipment manufacturers may seek to enter into a product demonstration site agreement—i.e., a contract whereby equipment manufacturers showcase the capabilities and features of their products in a real medical setting. However, it should be noted that the federal government is increasingly scrutinizing these arrangements under the Anti-kickback Statute. Before entering into a relationship of this type, medical practices must exercise due diligence to avoid the appearance of endorsing specific vendors or their products. On-site demonstration agreements should be narrowly constructed to focus on user education and training. The following actions on the part of vendors should be considered red flags: Œ The vendor asks to bring potential third-party customers to the medical practice to witness the product demonstration. Œ The vendor proposes to videotape the product demonstration. Œ The vendor requests that the practice prominently display the company’s name, trademark and/or logo. Œ The written proposal focuses unduly on product marketing considerations. Acquisition of new medical equipment represents a key investment in the future. By developing and implementing a systematic needs, product and vendor assessment process, practices can minimize risk while maximizing value. One or more of the CNA companies provide the products and/or services described. The information in this article is intended to present a general overview for illustrative purposes only. Any references to non-CNA websites are provided solely for convenience, and CNA disclaims any responsibility with respect to such websites. It is not intended to constitute a contract. Please remember that only the relevant insurance policy can provide the actual terms, coverages, amounts, conditions and exclusions for an insured. All products and services may not be available in all states and may be subject to change without notice. “CNA” is a service mark registered by CNA Financial Corporation with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Certain CNA Financial Corporation subsidiaries use the “CNA” service mark in connection with insurance underwriting and claims activities. Copyright © 2016 CNA. All rights reserved. w ww.theOMA.org Spring 2016 31
OMA Medicine in OR Spring 2016
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