Product Evaluation and Selection

Guidelines:

• Interdisciplinary teams should evaluate and use products and medical devices in the perioperative setting that result in optimal patient outcomes and the best value for health care organizations
  • Establish an interdisciplinary team to be responsible for oversight of the medical device and product evaluation process
  • Include key clinical and administrative stakeholders with relevant knowledge and expertise specific to the organization’s structure and patient population
    • Including a variety of stakeholders in the evaluation process allows for a holistic approach to product selection
  • Adjust team composition to include end users for specific medical devices and products under evaluation

Considerations:

• Pre-Purchase Evaluation:
  • Establish and implement a process for pre-purchase evaluation
    • Keep in mind cost containment and environmental impact
  • Use a standardized tool to compare products
  • Perform a financial impact analysis
    • Direct costs, indirect costs, reimbursement potential, group purchasing organization contract pricing, as applicable
  • Evaluate clinical performance of alternative products that present cost-savings potential
  • Develop an implementation plan

Nurse’s role:

• Participate in product evaluation and selection
• Participate in ongoing product evaluation
• Make informed decisions

Pitfalls:

• Post-Implementation Evaluation
  • Establish a quality assurance and performance improvement process for quality evaluation
    • QA and PI program provides a mechanism for verifying that new products and devices are meeting performance expectations and that the preselection evaluation process has met its objectives
  • Include a review of regulatory reporting systems in the QA and PI process for medical devices
  • Develop and implement a comprehensive plan for postpurchase evaluation of introduced products or devices

Examples:

• Importance of interdisciplinary team participation in product evaluation and selection. Example about changing brands of monitors in the pediatric cardiac OR

Linchpins (Key Points):

• The perioperative RN is a vital member of the interdisciplinary team
• The perioperative RN should actively participate in a product selection and evaluation