Let’s face it. Medical imaging equipment doesn’t last forever. That said, it’s important to understand the difference between “End of Life” and End Of Service Support in order to save money and resources.
What Does End Of Life Mean?
End of Life or EOL is an official term from the International Medical Device Regulators Forum, which is supported by the FDA. The term is defined with a focus on the life cycle of medical devices.
The IMDRF defines EOL as the “Life cycle stage of a product starting when the manufacturer no longer sells the product beyond their useful life as defined by the manufacturer and the produce has gone through a formal EOL process including notification to users.”
The End of Life letter is one of the first communications you will get from an OEM about the discontinuation of a system in the near future.
What Is End Of Service Support?
End Of Service is defined as “…the point in time in the life cycle of a product starting when the manufacturer terminates all service support activities and service support does not extend beyond this point.”
In plain terms, the End of Service Support is when your medical imaging system is really dead.
How is End of Service determined? Parts can be scare, there are fewer FSEs, systems are phased out and new technology is introduced. Simply put, OEMs want to focus on selling and supporting newer medical imaging systems.
As a rule, systems that have been designated as End of Life can expect to receive an End Of Service Support letter within 1-10 subsequent years.
However, even though an OEM isn’t interested in your old system, you might be able to find parts and services through a third party. This can extend the life of your system for years.
It’s also important to remember that if you have an OEM service contract, even if you receive the End of Service Support letter, the OEM has to provide you with service. Sometimes OEMs will decide to prorate the contract if they can’t provide the support you need through the contracted date.
What To Do If You Receive The End Of Life Notification
It can feel intimidating when you receive an End of Life notification, but don’t worry. Ask yourself, is this system still meeting our needs and requirements? What are my future imaging goals regarding patient throughput? And most importantly, what is my current budget and do I see budget cuts in the future? These questions can help you decide if you need a new system, should look at a refurbished one OR seek out a third party service provider.
If you want to check out a third party option, request a comprehensive system evaluation which will cover things like field service engineer availability, parts availability and an estimate about how long it might be before your system fails.
What To Do If You Receive An End Of Service Support Notification
First things first. Review your service contract. If you have pre-paid your contract, you can have it pro-rated and refunded. Then it’s time to explore your options, including searching for a third-party service provider, considering refurbished medical imaging equipment or searching for a new system altogether.
Talk To An Expert
The key to determining which steps are right for you are all about being proactive and well-informed. Talk to the experts at Atlantis Worldwide about your choices. We’ve been helping healthcare operations with their medical imaging equipment solutions for more than 30 years and can help you as well.
For more information, contact Atlantis Worldwide today!
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About the author: Vikki Harmonay