Medical Equipment: Extending and Improving Lives

No matter where and when it would be implemented, advanced technology is something for which we should be thankful. For the most part, technology has all the potentials to improve the lives of many. The same thing applies in the medical field where medical technology has profoundly affected the lives of patients and medical practitioners alike. In fact, incessant improvements in medical technology such as the emergence of varying medical equipment have enhanced the quality and effectiveness of health care.

Medical equipment is the collective term for medical instruments that are designed to aid health care practitioners in the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of differing medical conditions. These devices are made under strict safety standards in order to be used properly. Recent statistics have shown that billions of people globally make use of these medical devices inside health care facilities as well as their homes. There are several basic types of medical instruments that are used in differing clinical applications.

To start with, diagnostic equipment or medical imaging machines such as ultrasound, x-ray machines, MRI, PET, and CT scanners are often used to diagnose patient conditions. Therapeutic apparatuses such as infusion pumps, LASIK surgical machines and medical lasers are imperative during and after surgical procedures. Life support instruments like anesthetic machines, medical ventilators, dialysis machines, EMCOs, and heart-lung equipment are vital to sustain a patient’s life if he or she is in critical condition. On the other hand, life support instruments such as anesthetic machines, medical ventilators, dialysis machines, EMCOs, and heart-lung equipment, as their name implies, are used to sustain the life of patients who are in critical conditions. Meanwhile medical monitors such as blood pressure, ECG and EEG are used to measure a patient’s vital signs; they should not be confused with medical laboratory equipment, as these materials are not used to analyze blood, urine as well as genes. Similarly, medical monitors such as blood pressure, ECG and EEG are also important devices that measure the vital signs of patients.

More often than not, there are patients that require long-term medical care even outside health care facilities. The introduction of home medical equipment (HME) made it possible for patients to be taken care at home by their families or by nonprofessional caregivers. HMEs are commonly designed to withstand repetitive use by the patient himself or by nonprofessional caregivers. This type of equipment includes air purifiers, air ionizers, artificial limbs, commodes, nebulizers, wheelchairs, crutches, oxygen concentrators, respiratory assist devices and more.

A doctor’s prescription is needed in order for an HME to be covered by patient insurance. In order for an HME to be subjected for reimbursement for patient insurance, the device or instrument must be prescribed by a doctor. Likewise, there are certain HMEs that are regulated by the food and drug authority that require prescriptions before they can be purchased. Due to the growing demands for these medical instruments, many HME suppliers have now emerged to meet these demands. Because of the growing needs for these medical devices, myriads of medical suppliers are now offering such instruments. Due to the increasing demands for various medical instruments, many medical suppliers have now emerged in order to address this issue. Aside from local suppliers, there are also online suppliers offering these types of devices at extremely low margins or almost half of their original prices.

As medical instruments are vital for patient care, it is therefore an imperative to purchase these products from trusted medical suppliers to ensure patient safety. Be sure that the machine or even the small medical instruments you purchase are from accredited suppliers. This way, you can be assured that your medical instrument comes with proper set-up and training materials especially if you are to purchase equipment for home use. This way, you can be guaranteed that your equipment has proper set-up and training materials that will help you to properly carry out the task of administering health care. In the end, even in the absence of a professional health care practitioner, your patient or family member will receive the medical attention that he or she needs.