The FDA estimates there are over 2.5 million hospital beds currently in use in the United States. High-quality birthing beds remain vital features within a delivery unit, as 98.4% of all births occur within a hospital setting. The more than 6,200 hospitals in the nation continue to purchase obstetric beds to meet the growing demand.

A high-quality birthing bed provides comfort for the mother during labor and parturition. Some feature additional customized features that contribute to the overall safety of the patient. With so many nooks and nuances to keep in mind, most hospital administrators end up making costly mistakes during the buying process. Here are five common pitfalls to avoid when purchasing these hospital beds.

1. Failure To Determine Your Facilities Needs

You may fail to enjoy the full benefits of your refurbished hospital beds if you do not review the needs of the department. You may need to establish the intended use of the hospital beds. Consult your medical staff on the features and accessories that they would prefer to have on the equipment. The consultation enables you to purchase only the high-quality birthing beds that you need.

2. Not Factoring In the Bed’s Construction

In a rush, most hospital administrators tend to mistakenly buy the hospital beds without a thorough inspection. You may need to ensure that the birthing bed that you purchase is mechanically sound and in pristine condition. Are there any signs of rust or corrosion? Refurbished units such as the resolution bed can be reconditioned to be good as new, serving you for years to come.

3. Not Thinking About Maintenance Support

Most health facilities cannot manage to conduct effective repairs for their broken equipment using their internal resources. It would be a huge catastrophe to purchase a high-quality birthing bed without considering the maintenance services. Ask the vendor what ‘support after purchase’ services they offer. Routine maintenance and inspections can ensure that your resolution beds remain in proper conditions.

4. Not Asking for Documentation

Another common slip by hospital administrators during their purchase is the failure to ascertain the service life of the used hospital bed. A refurbished high-quality birthing bed should have vital documents that provide details on the bed’s serial number, year of manufactures, service history, and even upgrades. Thorough research is necessary to ensure that you do not burn your fingers with the hospital equipment purchase.

5. Not Researching the Vendor

Failure to check-up the refurbished hospital beds supplier can turn out to be a costly mistake. You need to find a reputable vendor that will ensure that you only get high-quality birthing births. You can avoid quacks by checking out their reputation online. What do past clients say about the quality of their services? Read through the reviews and complaints laid against them in online review sites. Is the supplier willing to provide a written contract detailed with all warranty agreements? Find reputable vendors to avoid purchasing worthless or poor-quality beds.

A high-quality birthing bed is a piece of vital equipment in any maternity wing. You may need to be cautious to avoid falling into the above five pitfalls when buying used hospital beds. Piedmont Medical Inc. can help you source used Hill-Rom and Stryker hospital beds for your facility.