Loaner scopes are typically very hard to track in busy endoscopy departments, where they are combined in circulation with dozens of other endoscopes across multiple floors or buildings. Without proper documentation, it is hard to know exactly when loaner scopes are due to be sent back to the vendor. Loaner scopes can also end up being the source of unnecessary and frequent charges from your vendors. This issue is compounded in an Enterprise setup, where hard-to-manage loaner scopes can lead to thousands of dollars per year in additional, unbudgeted expenses.
Loaner scopes are intended to be used for a short, fixed duration of time, typically at no cost while another scope is sent back to a vendor for repairs. When taking in loaner scopes, however, hospitals are signing up for several risks. First of all, loaner scopes that are held too long can result in rental fees for each month that a loaner scope is used beyond the agreed to period. With so many scopes going in and out of a facility, it is easy to take your eye off of the contracted time period and get hit with unexpected costs. Moreover, any costs related to damage to loaner scopes are the sole responsibility of the hospital. Because of this, it’s best to use loaner scopes only when absolutely required and to make sure they don’t get overused and damaged. Lastly, loaner scopes can, and quite often do, get lost. It may be a temporary or permanent loss of scopes, but either way, if the loaner scope isn’t found when the vendor asks for it, you may get hit with an unexpected bill. With these risks, hospitals need an automated system to keep track of the loaner scopes going in and out of their possession. Academic medical centers and large health systems especially require a solution due to the sheer number of loaner scopes they have at any given time. Mobile Aspects has built an automated endoscope tracking system that includes a feature that helps hospitals manage their loaner scope inventory. The company’s scope tracking software, iRIScope, helps manage the tracking and usage of an entire endoscope inventory, and a new module has been released that focuses on loaner scopes. When loaner scopes reach the end of their contracted term, the software can send proactive alerts to notify techs that loaner scopes need to be returned to the vendor. iRIScope tracks the usage levels of loaner scopes so you can make sure you keep loaner scope usage to a minimal level when possible. The system also helps track down missing loaner scopes by recording a real-time chain of custody of scopes so missing scopes can be identified and tracked down immediately. iRIScope helps to mitigate all of the risks associated with loaner scopes as part of its best-in-class scope tracking capabilities. iRIScope will also help manage all of the usage, reprocessing and repair details of your entire scope inventory, and will offer up actionable analytics on how to improve the management of your expensive scopes. Built in patient safety features also minimize the risk from adverse health events caused by inadequately reprocessed scopes. To find out more about iRIScope and its benefits for loaner scope management, sign up for a demo today.