For veterinarians, practice managers, and owners, acquiring new lab equipment can seem overwhelming as it takes a good deal of research and consideration. Choosing the right equipment for your practice could provide efficiency in procedures, running in-clinic diagnostics faster, and offering better overall patient and client service.
Apart from learning about the tool, you will ultimately need to train your staff on its use and get everyone familiarized with it. Below are some helpful tips in lab equipment acquisition.
Acquiring equipment
It is good to start by identifying what areas in your practice can benefit from new equipment. Once you have done so, there are different ways you can learn more information about it.
There can be many different brands and options when looking into new equipment, and one way to narrow down your picks is by reaching out to the company representatives to ask what options they offer. Setting up a meeting with the company representatives will help you get more insight into the equipment you are interested in.
Another way to learn more is to visit trade shows and conferences. Looking for a cytology machine? Well, you are in luck! There is one in the expo hall for trial! Social media groups can also be a helpful platform to check reviews on equipment you are looking to acquire.
Once you have decided on which one to purchase, you will need to evaluate the return on the machine and decide whether you want to lease or purchase it outright. Ask yourself how long it will take to see a profit from your investment. Is your return rate reasonable for your practice’s needs? For example, say you just purchased an ultrasound machine that costs about $6,000. If you charge $300 per ultrasound and perform two ultrasounds per week, you will have paid off your equipment in just 2.5 months. Or, if you purchase versus lease, it will take you 2.5 months to see a profit.
Also, consider the availability of product warranties or customer support. For example, does the equipment company/manufacturer have a technician who can assist via phone or stop by to help with any issues that may arise? Will any replacement parts be covered by the company in case of damages? Is there a warranty on the equipment if it breaks? Weighing these factors will help with your decision-making.
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Training your team
Anytime you are bringing in any type of new equipment, you will want to make sure you facilitate training for your team on how to properly use and care for it.
Training your team can be facilitated in a few ways:
- Working with an IT company. Most large practices work with IT companies so employees can reach out to experts and have issues addressed in a timely manner. The IT company can also coordinate with your practice management software (PMS) team for anything that needs to be fixed internally. Say your X-ray machine breaks down in the middle of a busy day and you have no idea what is wrong with it, the IT company can evaluate the issue and work with your PMS or equipment technical team to resolve it.
- Collaborating with company representatives. The company representative will either facilitate the training or bring in someone from the company who is more knowledgeable to offer the training for your team. Most of the time, they will provide something like a lunch-and-learn session to help the team feel more comfortable and confident in using the new equipment. Usually, when the company representative puts something together, they will also have some handouts or reading materials which could be used for a quick reference guide in the future.
As a practice manager, I like to assign one team member from the practice to be the designated equipment manager, as in they will know how to calibrate the machines, clean them, answer other team members’ questions, troubleshoot issues, or be able to easily reach support.
The designated equipment manager can also go as far as to create a cheat sheet that includes any important contact information and steps on how to use the new equipment. Let’s face it, we have all been in a situation where a call to the distributing company was needed and you had to sit on hold for 45 minutes. Having any or all important information easily accessible to you and your team will help with faster resolution of issues.
- Providing team training. If team training cannot be provided, learning the ins and outs of the equipment as a manager will be crucial for implantation. You can provide in-person training for the team with the information you have learned and go over the step-by-step process on how to run the diagnostics with the new equipment. Feel free to empower your team to lead the training. It can be any member who is most knowledgeable and passionate about the new equipment, or you can even have them collaborate on the training. For example, your DVM can provide training on why the new equipment can provide better patient care, your technicians can train on the functions and calibration of equipment, and your inventory manager can help with storage, contact information, and ordering supplies.
As a manager, I know every team member learns differently. Making the training session fun can help everyone retain the information. Create a mini quiz and offer an incentive for the team member who answers all of the questions correctly, or maybe even make a bingo-style game or contest on who uses it the most within a certain timeline. I have never met a team who does not enjoy a little friendly competition! Making trainings fun usually always leads to higher staff engagement.
There are so many benefits for having in-house diagnostics, such as better patient care, quicker results for emergency cases, reference lab quality results, and even increased revenue within the practice.
Acquiring new equipment can take a lot of time, energy, and careful consideration. After all, you are not just making an easy purchase, it is something that will need to be looked into financially and evaluated carefully for the needs of your practice long term.
Rachel Singletary is a practice manager in Lakeland, Fla., who has started from the bottom and moved her way up throughout the years. She has managed many different areas of veterinary hospitals and her top passion is inventory, staff development, and budgeting. Client satisfaction, growth and inventory are also major factors in her daily life because she strives to provide a positive experience for both her clients and staff every day.