Become a smart buyer to avoid a cluttered office


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Issue 1 - January 2003

Become a smart buyer to avoid a cluttered office
By K. Jeffrey Miller, DC, DABCO

Take out the trash barrels and clean out the office cupboards. Be ruthless – get rid of that clutter! Then, after you’ve made a clean sweep of your office, sit back and enjoy the picture of tidy perfection, knowing that as a smart buyer you’ll never have to go through that odious task again.

Old, unused “stuff.” I would bet that every chiropractor – myself included – who has been in practice for more than two years has “stuff” – equipment – that isn't being used. The equipment may include such things as an old blood pressure cuff or reflex hammer to a room full of rehab equipment.

Unused equipment takes up valuable space, does not help patients, does not generate income and may be a financial liability if you are still paying for it. The reasons we end up with unused equipment vary. A device may not have worked out like you thought it would. Patients did not like it. Reimbursement was low or non-existent. You lost interest. You were talked into buying something that you did not want or need, or it was an impulse buy.

The best way to avoid clutter: Become a savvy and cautious buyer. Before you purchase equipment – or even before you go to a seminar where you may be tempted to buy – ask yourself the questions listed below. They are designed to help you make better decisions about equipment acquisition:

• Have I been looking for this equipment or is this my first exposure?

• Why do I need this equipment?

• What part of my practice will this equipment enhance?

• Do I personally know a doctor who is using this equipment successfully?

• Where would I locate this equipment?

• Is the equipment portable? Can it be used for screenings or mobile care?

• Will I have to purchase additional equipment or upgrade any existing equipment in order to use this item?

• What supplies and storage are needed for this equipment?

How to clear out the clutter

Smart buying starts with your next purchase. But what about the “stuff” that is cluttering your office right now? Unused equipment takes up space and may actually be costing you money. Here are some ways I have used to find a new home for old equipment:

• Sell it. I recently sold an adjusting table and a massage chair that were no longer being used. I also once sold a piece of equipment for the amount of the lease payoff. The doctors who took on the leased items got a great deal. I was out from under a financial burden and I gained more floor space.

• Get out of the lease. Several years ago I found another doctor who would assume a lease on a flexion distraction table.

• Donate it to charity. Recently I donated a slide projector to the public library and the few extra blood pressure cuffs to the nurse's assist program at a vocational school. The last time I updated the computers in my office I donated the old computers to an organization that provides refurbished computers to African missionaries. Each organization wrote letters stating that I had donated equipment and listed the equipment's value. Copies of letters were forwarded to my accountant.

• Throw it away. When OSHA began regulating health care facilities I tossed a couple of pinwheels used for sensory testing. OSHA regulations made it necessary to sterilize these instruments after each use or purchase disposable models. I tossed the old pinwheels and bought a box of flat toothpicks. Two toothpicks per examination that can be immediately disposed of are much cheaper than an autoclave or disposable pinwheels. Since pinwheels look like torture devices, toothpicks are also less scary.

• Who will operate this equipment?

• Is it easy to use?

• Will additional training be required for the doctor and/or staff?

• Who will provide the training? Is the training included with the purchase or is it an extra expense?

• Is the equipment versatile? How many things can it be used for?

• How expensive is the equipment to operate?

• How durable is the equipment?

• How much maintenance will be required?

• Who will fix it if it breaks?

• Where will it be fixed if it breaks? Will it be repaired in the office or will it have to be shipped back to the factory?

• Is the equipment FDA approved?

• Is the equipment hazardous in any way?

• How long will it hold its value?

• Does my state law permit the use of this equipment?

• Does the equipment require a special license?

• Can I be reimbursed for the use of the equipment? How much?

• Will the use of this equipment require special reports or increase paperwork?

• Is this type of equipment frequently reviewed for usual, customary and reasonable expense by insurance carriers?

• Can I buy the equipment or will I have to lease it?

• Will the services billed exceed the purchase or lease payment by at least a 2 to 1 margin?

• Can I really afford this equipment?

• Do I need this equipment or do I just want it?

_ Jeffrey Miller, DC is author of Practical Assessment of the Chiropractic Patient.

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