It is important to give adequate consideration to particular aspects when purchasing new furniture for the practice.
Utility
The most important consideration in the beginning is how the furniture will be used in your practice to improve patient care. Each clinic has unique demands for different pieces of furniture and the utility of certain pieces will vary widely.
Think about how often you will use the furniture and the way it will benefit your practice, in comparison to the existing furniture in your practice. In the end, each purchase comes down to the value added to your patient care with respect to the price.
Flexibility
Each individual patient has specific characteristics and need of furniture within a practice and flexibility in your equipment to meet different needs is essential.
For example, height-adjustability can be a significant benefit for some types of furniture, such as patient examination tables and chairs. This allows you to use the same piece of equipment for multiple patients and can also increase ease of storage when not in use.
Life Expectancy
Another important consideration is the expected life expectancy of the furniture. Even when the upfront cost is higher, the overall value a piece of furniture offers to your practice may exceed other options because it is built to last. Likewise, cheap furniture is not always the best option if it will need to be replaced often.
Infection Control and Safety
In a medical environment, safety and hygiene standards are of utmost importance. This includes the furniture within the practice, which should be considered when initially buying the furniture.
Ideally, surfaces should be nonporous, smooth and easy to clean, which will help to reduce the spread of infection among patients in the practice. Appropriate lighting can help to reduce medication errors made by clinicians and increase patient safety.
Return On Investment
Finally, it is important to consider the price of the furniture and the return on investment for your medical practice.
To evaluate this, you should consider the benefits the furniture will offer against the financial burden it will require. Think about how it will improve patient care through its utility, flexibility, durability and safety benefits, and weigh that up against the price of the furniture.
In some cases, renting medical furniture may provide a greater return on investment than buying outright, particularly when the upfront cost is high.
To make the best decision for you practice, you need to balance the different factors, prioritising the most important points for you.
