Understanding maintenance agreements

An ultrasound machine is only useful to your practice if it’s up and running, so it’s important to consider a maintenance agreement as part of your ultrasound machine purchase.

Maintenance agreements help limit downtime and avoid expensive repair costs after the manufacturer’s warranty expires. If your equipment needs repair, a maintenance agreement ensures that a technician comes to your office and either fixes it on site or arranges to send you a new machine. Some vendors will even provide a loaner ultrasound machine under a maintenance agreement so that you can continue tending to your patients during a repair.

A maintenance agreement does more than cover the cost of parts and labor on a repair. It provides regular cleaning and preventative maintenance of the machine to ensure that it runs smoothly and effectively. It also enables the vendor to upload software upgrades to your machine.

Maintenance agreement providers

There are two different sources to turn to for maintenance agreements – each with its own benefits and disadvantages.

Most health-care practices get their maintenance agreements from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). An OEM maintenance agreement is considered the safest option because the manufacturer is most familiar with the machine. It’s the preferred option if you run a small clinic or practice because they offer training and analysis as part of the service, but it’s also the most expensive.

If you’re looking to save money, independent service organizations (ISO) offer maintenance agreements that are 10% to 20% cheaper than OEMs. They can also provide parts and peripherals at steep discounts. ISOs can have difficulty diagnosing problems in proprietary equipment, which sometimes restricts the ISO from accessing system diagnostics. However, skilled ISOs can typically diagnose problems despite that shortcoming.

Large hospitals and health-care facilities may decide to forgo a maintenance agreement, since they have the resources to handle maintenance needs internally. With the right training, in-house professionals can keep your machines running well. As members of your organization, they’re likely more responsive and committed to your practice than any external provider.

You can even work out maintenance agreements where OEMs act as the secondary contact if in-house staff can’t solve a problem. In-house repair techs are not purchasing experts, however, and may still need help from a third party to purchase transducers and other equipment.

If budgets are a concern and you don’t want to invest in a maintenance agreement, you may be able to troubleshoot small problems with an ultrasound machine on your own. The machine will typically indicate what the problem is and suggest the appropriate solution. Just keep in mind that without a maintenance agreement, any serious repairs that emerge could prove costly.