As medical equipment becomes more sophisticated and complex, hospitals must develop a system to define, specify, evaluate, and select equipment in a rational manner. Too often major equipment selection is left in the hands of a few people who make decisions without recognizing how many areas these decisions will affect. This article outlines a procedure for major equipment purchases that attempts
... [Show full abstract] to eliminate many of the common errors made during the decision making process. This procedure organizes the selection of equipment into a system that enables all affected areas to provide input. In some instances, this process may lead to a clearer understanding of the total effects that such a proposed piece of equipment will have on a hospital, and it may uncover information that would cause the entire proposal to be reconsidered.
