New guidance from industry body AXREM aims to safeguard buyers and sellers of used ultrasound kit by improving transparency around the condition of the goods.
AXREM, the Association of Healthcare Technology Providers for Imaging, Radiology and Care, said economic reasons had led to a trend in purchasing refurbished ultrasound equipment to meet clinical demand. However, there has been little guidance on how to best procure this equipment while maintaining standards in governance and equipment performance.
The new guidance consists of three checklists for sellers to complete, the first covering ultrasound probes, and the second and third covering the rest of the ultrasound system and post-sales support.
Download the guidance/checklists here
The guidance was designed by AXREM in collaboration with the Society of Radiographers, the British Medical Ultrasound Society and the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine.
Gill Harrison, SoR professional officer for ultrasound, said: "Whilst this may be outside the remit of many sonographers, there will be some who are involved in the purchase of equipment, and as finances become increasingly challenged there will be a greater push to purchase used equipment.
"This collaborative work aims to assist those involved in purchasing previously owned or refurbished equipment to undertake due diligence to ensure safety of probes and/or systems. The checklist format provides an opportunity for vendors to show that they have followed relevant safety guidance and enable purchasers to be more confident in their purchase."