Some organizations opt to dabble in rentals before committing to a purchase.

In most institutions, the occasional instrument order moves through the system at Metamucil® speed, but the capital equipment request for complete sets, can become bound up at every twist and turn in the long, dark approval process. Timely outcomes are often less than certain

The Rent Route
Renting instruments can be a short-term solution. We have set aside a limited number of Shoulder Sets for our new rental program. Sets are delivered to the hospital one business day prior to the scheduled surgery. To keep the program viable, we ask for a commitment to see that the instruments are shipped back to us immediately following the case. The obvious downside to renting is the outside chance that a set cannot be made available on very short notice. When good communication channels are established early, the risk of such disappointment is greatly reduced. A number of medical centers throughout the country have constructively used the rental program on repeated occasions.

The Buy Way
Owning the shoulder instruments provides the peace of mind that they are always on hand when needed. From the standpoint of systems management, victory can be celebrated when even one step in the tedious process of preparing for a particular surgery is eliminated. The euphoria of this sometimes over-simplistic rationalization is tempered by consideration for budget constraints and rate of utilization. Of course, there is also the concern that the chosen system may not fulfill the need as originally envisioned.

Why not do both?
With a sagacious, if not somewhat jaundiced eye for the obvious, some organizations opt to dabble in the former before committing to the latter. Renting the set several times prior to purchase is not entirely unheard of. Gained are the time-honored benefits of procrastination for the institution and valuable hands-on experience with the instruments for the surgeon.

The Shoulder, Volume 1, Number 4