Thursday 12 September 2013

Setting Up a Clinic

Setting up a clinic is not an easy task. There are too many things to consider from furnishings to supplies, filing, and medical equipment. There are a plethora of options to be considered for each of the aforementioned categories depending on budget, individual needs, and preferences.  Also the process requires appropriate planning of space utilization. Furnishing and décor will vary according to the specialization of the medical practitioner. A pediatrician‘s requirement for furnishings and medical equipment will be different from an obstetrician. Also setting up a private practice is a lifelong commitment.

A medical practitioner has to live with the decisions made regarding the office space for at least 3-5 years. Because setting up a private practice will lead to dwindling of funds, all decisions should be made for long-term purpose.

Furniture

It is one of the crucial purchases that is required for setting up a clinic.

Waiting room/reception area

According to the specialization of the medical practitioner, the furniture of the clinic will vary. For instance, a pediatrician’s office will have small, colorful chairs for young patients; obstetrician’s offices will need comfortable and/or over-sized chairs for expectant mothers; a family practitioner will require chairs to accommodate patients of all ages.

Physician’s office

This is the workspace of the doctor. It needs to ensure maximum productivity. An ergonomic chair, mobile or fixed workstation, technology docking or public access computer are the basic requirements. Also appropriate filing and shelving cabinets will be required for maintaining all the medical documents and patient information. Various filing and shelving options are available such as the following: mobile file carts, track filing and rotary.

Exam room

The exam room is a central part of a doctor’s clinic and ought to be equipped accordingly. A medical practitioner should make careful decisions regarding the type of exam table or chair needed for his or her specialty.  A pediatrician may have a bassinet for infants. Proper storage facility should also be kept in mind. For medical equipment a list can be given to multiple vendors. This will help in getting competitive prices for the equipment.

Office Supplies and Medical Supplies
Although these items are common, they are essential.  Office supplies and medical supplies like syringes, exam table paper, tissue papers can be bought in bulk.

Setting up a clinic requires meticulous and detailed planning. If a physician is willing to spare some extra cost, an interior designer can be hired to set up the place efficiently and hassle-free. 

Used Medical Equipment

What is the most expensive thing you have ever purchased?  In most cases, people's answers would be either a house or a car.  Once you purchase a house, you will also need to furnish it.  Spending so much money on a new home and then having to furnish it can be quite expensive.  The cost of furniture can quickly add up as you purchase pieces for every single room of your home.  This may be a costly venture, but one that is necessary as well.  I mean, what good is a home without any furniture making it livable?  The same principle applies to a business.  An office without the necessary equipment will serve very little purpose.  This is especially true for a hospital or doctor's office.  Now if you thought that buying furniture for your home was pricey, just think about what it would cost to equip an entire medical facility.

Medical equipment can be very expensive.  Thanks to their high price tags, many clinics and hospitals are opting to purchase used equipment when they are starting out.  An EKG or electrocardiogram machine can cost you about $5000 alone.  That's for just one piece of equipment!  Other machines such as ones used for MRIs cost much more.  When you add together the price to purchase, delivery, installation and fees for training to use the equipment, prices can soar to the millions!

Clinics can save a ton of money by purchasing refurbished medical equipment.  They are often sold by other hospitals and clinics that are sizing down or closing altogether.  The units are then refurbished by technicians and resold.  After repairs, the units are often times in better condition than they were previously.  Buying these refurbished units provides considerable discounts when compared to new units.


If you plan on trying to purchase some refurbished medical equipment, be sure to do some research online beforehand.  Save yourself or your hospital some money by buying up quality refurbished medical equipment.

Tuesday 10 September 2013

When to get health equipment for the home or car?

Are you wondering when to get health equipment for the home or car? The sooner, the better! Generally you’ll need equipment when something becomes damaged or you’ve run out of supplies. Everyone needs medical supplies, no matter where they live or what they do. You could be in a car accident or experience a Tornado which we hope doesn’t happen to anyone. In these cases, you’ll need medical supplies. Another situation we could talk about is camping disasters. It's very easy to go hiking and fall. At the steepness you are at, you'd be tumbling down the hill by now. This is obviously something you want to avoid but sometimes accidents happen. By having a first aid kit in your car, you'll be we'll prepared. If you are badly injured and you see torn skin with bits of bone protruding, this is a sign that you broke a bone. Most likely you'll have to hand the keys to your friend to get your medical kit. From there you can use a splint and wrap bandages around the wound.

Let us give you a few examples of when to get health equipment for the home:

Whenever you run out of something
If your equipment becomes broken or is in some way damaged
If you need medical equipment for more than one person

These are just a few examples. You might be a caretaker who runs a business from your home, taking care of seniors who come in. Watching them seems easy but they will need health equipment like wheelchairs, walkers, and so on. Always make sure they are in good condition because if they fall because a walker is damaged, you could face a major lawsuit. This is why it is crucial that you know when to get health equipment for your home or business.