Behind the Decision-Making Process of Purchasing X-Ray Equipment

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By Henry Williams, Carestream Area Vice President, Sales Western

Nowadays, with hospital budgetary restrictions at the forefront of the purchasing decision making process, it seems like the X-Ray market, like everything else, is not immune to the current state of the economy. With that said, it would be easy to theorize that more than anything else, that cost is the most crucial factor for clinics, hospitals, and imaging centers that are seeking X-Ray equipment solutions.

But is that really the case? 

While the price and long-term value are key factors, it is important to point out that there are multiple schools of thought when it comes to deciding to purchase X-Ray equipment. While hospital financial officers and supply chain administrators control the purse strings and make the ultimate financial decisions, they must consider the needs and desires of those handling the equipment such as Radiologic Technologists (medical imaging technologists) and in some cases radiologists.

That is not to say that one side wins out over the other (and if one does, it is usually the former), but in theory, there is an intricate process that involves weighing and considering key factors before pulling the trigger on such an important purchase.

I’ve heard firsthand from customers that I’ve spoken to here in the United States—and from colleagues who have spoken to customers around the world, and while no two customers are inherently the same, there are some commonalities that help give us a clearer understanding as to what customers are really looking for when it comes to acquiring X-Ray solutions.  

This information has helped in the effort to strive to be considerate of and empathetic to customers’ needs, enabling us to work to build a tailored plan to help solve organizational challenges, bolster financial health by adding more value at every step of the imaging chain, with the aspirations to position ourselves effectively as a reliable imaging partner.  

Who is Making the Purchases? 

Again, while radiographers and radiologists are capturing and diagnosing images, the people signing off on the actual financial investment are the administrators, the CEOs, clinical engineering leaders, product committee chairs, and chief medical officers.

While the former handles patient-facing challenges, the latter is responsible for the upkeep of the business: things like marketing, staffing, and of course, the budget.

Purchasing a piece of X-Ray equipment impacts everyone, from the patients to the rad tech taking the image to the radiologist interpreting it. A “bad” purchase can have devastating effects, while a “good” purchase can open all kinds of new doors.

For example, let us say that speaking hypothetically of course, a decision is made to purchase the lowest priced mobile solution available. While the price is attractive, there is a high probability that it will be light on features, cumbersome for technologists, and rife with technical issues. Though the customer might have saved money in the short term, eventually, the costs including potential staffing issues from techs who do not want to work on unreliable, difficult to use equipment can add up.

What’s more, these are large capital purchases, so it is not as if a customer can easily buy a new mobile unit once they have realized that this piece of equipment does not meet their needs. In a sense, they are “stuck” with this decision until the budget can support purchasing a different unit.

So, if cost is not the ultimate, be-all-end-all decider, what is? 

What Are Our Customers Looking For? 

First, it is not just about the dotted line cost. When you buy a vehicle, you are not just thinking about the cost of the vehicle, you are thinking about things like gas, maintenance and upkeep, and resale value. The same (with the obvious exception of resale value) can be said about X-Ray equipment.

One of the things at the forefront of financial decision makers minds is the acquisition cost and overall Total cost of ownership. So, while one mobile unit might be marginally more expensive than another, if the former unit is more dependable or has better service parameters, one would presume that it is worth it overall to go with that piece of equipment.

Part of that is also considering equipment obsolescence. While the shiny, new “feature of the month” might be attractive today, it is important to consider whether that feature will still be popular, if not outdated, within 5-10 years.

Another side of that is adaptability. In other words, customers are looking for solutions that offer add-ons as their needs and budgets evolve. That’s why Carestream is proud to offer a number of solutions, like our DRX-Evolution Plus X-Ray System, which offers a number of optional features for more flexibility as our customers’ situations change, or our DRX-Compass X-Ray System, which offers a wide selection of components so our customers can configure the ideal system to meet their needs.  

Remember, purchasing the “wrong” piece of equipment might have a significant impact on the satisfaction of the rad techs and radiologists who work with it. On the other hand, finding the “perfect fit” can not only offer improvements to rad techs’ workflows but in a perfect world, if the rad tech is able to do their job more effectively, it creates a faster, easier experience for the patient as well.

Staff satisfaction does not just impact the folks already employed at the hospital. If your organization is known for having the best equipment, it can make you more effective at hiring and keeping the most qualified staff. In other words, if a rad tech at Hospital A knows the equipment is better and the staff is happier at Hospital B, it could be just a matter of time (and opportunity) before that tech puts in his or her notice and joins the team at Hospital B.  

It can also mean if given a choice, patients will most likely trust that organization with their care or treatment. Let us not forget a higher volume of exams can have a positive ripple effect. If someone has a choice between providers and one provider delivers a significantly better experience than another without a major difference in cost (and if the patient’s insurance is accepted by both providers), eventually one provider will separate itself and become the standard, thus earning most of the business in that area.

On that note, while one provider might be the standard for their competitors, providers hold themselves to ambitious standards. That means tracking and examining metrics like offerings, response time, uptime, patient satisfaction, and more. In some cases, a provider with stellar metrics might be eligible for or receive public funding, in addition to the many accolades and awards they may receive, which further helps to drive success.

That means it is imperative for key financial decision makers to do their best and utilize all resources to help make the right decisions, not just for the bottom lines’ sake, but for overall sustainability, growth, and patient/staff satisfaction.

The Rad Techs/Radiologist Side of Things 

The decision-makers may be the people signing off on Capital Equipment Requests and Purchase Orders, but they cannot make those decisions without being in-tune with the needs of their staff. The end users are that are hands-on with the equipment every day, putting in the facetime with patients, and dealing with the effect of those decisions, both good and bad.

So, what are the folks in the radiology department saying? 

Rad techs especially are looking for ease of use, dependability, and reliability. Rad techs can capture upwards of one hundred images a day, and bulky, heavy, or particularly strenuous equipment can have debilitating effects.

Anecdotally, I remember a story from before we introduced the DRX-Revolution Mobile X-Ray System. The joke was that you could always tell, in the radiology department, who the rad techs were because they were the ones who were hunched over from having to drive the cart around while maneuvering around the fixed column. 

In the more than two-year course of designing and creating the DRX-Revolution, our development team met with customers and radiology professionals across the country, asking what they liked, did not like, and what they would change about their current mobile imaging units.

As I am told, one rad tech asked if we could make the column out of glass, which paved the way to the idea for a collapsible column. The rest is history. The collapsible column received extremely positive feedback, other equipment providers have implemented it into their own designs, and it continues to be one of the most highly requested and well-received features in mobile imaging, with users raving about its ease of use. 

In fact, this is one of the top things hospital administrators ask about: “is [the piece of equipment in consideration] easy to use for our staff?”  

Ease of use might help with workflow, but even the easiest piece of equipment in the world to use is useless if the image quality is insufficient. Just as there is a balance to the needs of administration and radiology staff, there exists a balance between ease of use and image quality.

To put it simply, X-Ray techs want—if not need—a reliable, dependable, minimally-straining experience. They need to be able to effectively capture hundreds, if not thousands of images in a week. They cannot do that if they are dealing with muscle cramps, strains, or other physical maladies, and they certainly cannot do that if their equipment goes down.

Therein lies another of rad techs’ chief concerns: durability and reliability. This important group of medical professionals needs equipment that can sustain drops, bumps, scrapes, or spills and they need equipment with minimal downtime.

Interestingly, where the techs/radiologists and administrators agree is on the importance of scalable, upgradeable technology. Right now, all the buzz is on Artificial Intelligence (AI), and both techs/radiologists and administrators are laser focused on the specific use-case for AI-enabled imaging technology.

In other words, they do not just want to know what AI might be able to do in the future; they want to know what AI can do for them and their patients right now. Techs want to know how many images they will be able to capture. Radiologists want to know how much more accurate they will be with their diagnostics. Administrators want to know how much additional volume the department will be able to manage.

The Role of Relationships 

At the end of the day, we are not in the business of selling X-Ray equipment that our customers do not need. We are more concerned with building relationships with our customers, listening to their pain points, understanding their goals, and discerning how we can be a vehicle to helping them alleviate those pains and achieve their goals.

That communication is the key to success, both for our customers as health care providers and for us as a committed partner and trusted advisor.

It’s also the difference that has helped us earn the coveted IMV Award; in 2022 for Best Customer Satisfaction in General X-Ray and in 2023 for Best System Performance: Highest percentage of highly-satisfied responses for Overall System Performance.   

Those awards are not just a testament to our products; they are a testament to the ability of our sales folks to find the right solutions for our customers unique budgetary, workflow, and organizational needs.

So, each time a potential customer decides to choose Carestream as a vendor, they do so with the confidence of knowing that we are committed to working to provide the best information possible to assist in make the right choice—and we at Carestream have the confidence of knowing that we are hard at work to help to contribute to positive patient outcomes, one X-Ray at a time.