From the October 2014 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Be aware that OEMs will offer service coverage for these third-party chillers but it is always best to negotiate and work directly with the chiller vendor for faster service. Hours of service Most MR full-service contracts are for standard hours (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m). Usually magnet maintenance and cryogen contracts are included with routine MR contracts and are covered during the hours of 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., in addition to the regularly scheduled PMs. PMs should occur quarterly and lead to improved system reliability and magnet life. Coils and connections should be checked for damage during PMs to ensure proper RF signal-to-noise ratio since a decrease in signal quality can lead to poor image quality/spatial resolution. Regularly scheduled PMs can prevent this.
Optional items to consider
• Web portals for EHR/PACS
• Uninterrupted power supply
• Technology upgrades
• Real-time remote monitoring
• System utilization reports
• Service management reports
Best types of service contracts for MR
Due to the high level of service training required on MRs, in-house service is only practical for large enterprises that have multiple scanners and appropriately trained BME resources. For large health care systems, transitional assist contracts offer a full service contract for the initial year while BME personnel are being trained, but they are often much more expensive than full service contracts. BME first call contracts are a better option, offering troubleshooting and PMs only, along with a discount on parts and labor. First call contracts are usually lower in overall service costs than a full service contract. In situations where BMEs are intended to be the primary
service provider, they need to be heavily involved in any new MR installations, as this will facilitate their learning and training.
Shared risk contracts are designed for those facilities that are willing to share in the risk of service, but also want an opportunity to reduce their costs. The customer pays on a call-by-call basis for each repair. If the MR scanner has only a few repairs throughout the year, you can minimize your costs by not meeting your deductible.
Other options besides full service contracts are those that are based on a set annual exam rate per year with an additional cost or fee when the exam rate is exceeded. There is also the option of obtaining an ‘edited’ version of a full service contract that includes standard business hours with magnet maintenance and cryogen coverage, but requires a reduction in uptime guarantee, parts delivery and onsite response time. This is a good way to reduce cost, but these types of contracts are considered a higher risk for the facility.
