Resource management in cardiovascular engineering: is outsourcing the solution?
In recent years, modern medicine has changed considerably. At maximum care centers, in particular, the use of state-of-the-art medical equipment has become an essential part of patient care. HoWever, using such high-tech products also means a considerable burden on the financial resources available, because additional financing is rare. Consequently, there is a need for approaches that allow the use of state-of-the-art equipment without straining the budget unduly. The question now is whether economic strategies that have long since been established in other industries, e.g., the outsourcing of certain services, represent a potential solution for the economic problems of modern clinics. The fundamentals of outsourcing and its pros and cons are outlined and discussed, taking cardiovascular perfusion as an example, a cost-intensive field of heart surgery that is responsible for attending to heart-lung machines, artificial hearts and circulatory support systems.
Feyrer
Richard
R
Center of Cardiac Surgery, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Krankenhausstr. 12, 91054 Erlangen, Germany. richard.feyrer@herz.imed.uni-erlangen.de
Weyand
Michael
M
Kunzmann
Udo
U
D013504:Cardiovascular Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics* / Q000295:instrumentation; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006295:Health Resources / Q000191:economics* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006801:Humans; D018803:Models, Economic; D020416:Outsourced Services / Q000191:economics*; D015424:Reperfusion / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation; D013523:Surgical Equipment / Q000191:economics