by Eddie Garcés

Service for endoscopy instrumentation is readily available from most original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as well as independent service organizations (ISOs). In general, you will get the best dollar-for-dollar value under some sort of service contract arrangement with your provider. Often, the contract includes a variety of value-added benefits, including a discount off the retail rate for the repair. When evaluating a service provider and/or a service plan, here are a few factors to consider.

Medical instrumentation is designed and manufactured to exacting standards. Authorized service providers can repair your equipment to meet its original, FDA-sanctioned specifications using OEM repair protocols, parts, materials and processes. OEM-authorized repairs are important for several reasons. They protect your original product warranty by ensuring that no alterations are made to your equipment. They also safeguard the usable life of your equipment with repairs tested and approved for their durability and product compatibility. Finally, they ensure that there is no degradation to your product’s safety, performance or handling characteristics due to the repair process.

Choosing a service provider that can perform all levels of repairs on your endoscope and its ancillary equipment is a great convenience. Additionally, if one repair provider exclusively takes care of your equipment throughout its life, it is easier to compile comprehensive repair histories on that instrument. If the service provider subcontracts some of the repair work to other ISOs and/or the OEM, make sure to assess the quality of those subcontracted repairs and find out if they are covered under the terms of your contract. Also, inquire about the impact on the repair turnaround time for repairs that are subcontracted to other suppliers.

Equipment emergencies can happen at any time so it is important to know that you can get repair assistance when you need it. Does the service provider have a local or regional presence that allows them to visit you on-site if required? What are the service provider’s business hours, and do they provide technical phone support after hours? What about Internet service for online ordering and tracking of your repairs and/or accessing your repair histories?

Prevention goes a long way in your repair reduction efforts. Careful equipment handling and preventive maintenance protocols can eliminate the need for many repairs or detect minor damage before it escalates into something more serious. Some service providers offer repair reduction assistance and advice, including:

• On-site visits to inspect your scopes and/or train your staff on repair avoidance and proper reprocessing techniques,

• Repair reports delineating the probable cause of the damage and how to avoid it in the future

• Repair trend analyses to identify potential handling/reprocessing issues or problem equipment

• Preventive repairs at no extra charge when your scope comes in for service

• Workshops, continuing education courses, online resources and interactive videos on reprocessing and scope care and handling.

Some service organizations supply contract customers with loaner equipment for use during the repair process. Check out the quality, type and availability of the promised loaner equipment. Ask whether it is supplied to you as needed or kept on-site at your facility for immediate emergency use. On-site loaners for workhorse scopes provide the greatest benefit since they are stored at your facility, ensuring no disruption to your business schedule in the event of an equipment emergency.

While loaner equipment can be scheduled and greatly minimize your downtime, it cannot compare to your own equipment. Make sure to inquire about the turnaround times you can reasonably expect for the various levels of repairs on your scopes and ancillary equipment.

Even if all of your repairs are covered under a service contract, the total amount of repair dollars you accumulate can have an impact on your contract renewal rates. Warranty periods are important to ensure you are not paying twice for a repair that was done improperly or insufficiently the first time. Some service providers offer extended warranty periods for contract customers. Also, if your provider uses subcontractors, investigate the warranty coverage for subcontracted work.

Some organizations offer free courier services and/or shipping. Inquire about the procedure for getting your damaged equipment in for service, and ask who pays for the transportation. Find out how long the transit portion of the repair process takes. Is it a local pickup or does it require overnight shipping? Does the service provider supply packing and shipping materials? If the provider pays for the shipping, is insurance included?

Learn what data the service provider will use to develop the terms and cost of your contract agreement. Will it be a fixed-fee contract or a capitated agreement? What is the payment schedule for the contract? If you are purchasing new equipment, can the repair contract be included as part of the equipment financing and/or deferred over the life of the instrument?