An important thing to consider is what the proper level of support is for the equipment you're donating. An ideal donation doesn't end when the equipment leaves your site. A risk/reward calculation has to be made. Data should be collected in the field (or possibly gathered from others who have already had experience) to assess what changes are needed for updated equipment. Some level of customer support and training should be maintained for legacy equipment, but it will differ depending on the complexity of the equipment. Feedback on the long-term continued use of legacy equipment could prove valuable. The feedback could be obtained from clinical staff including nurses, technicians and support staff. Obviously, the more familiar that staff is with the equipment, the higher the quality of feedback and marketing information gathered.
How so? International markets, even developing nations, will be future customers of both new and used equipment. Market preparedness, in the long run, is just smart business, as a method of capturing future markets that could in the end result in a high return on investment while doing what health care companies ultimately should be doing - providing health care.
Paul Keough, PhD, MBA is the President at Turnkeough Corporation (www.turnkeough.com). You can reach Paul at paul.keough@turnkeough.com.
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