Establishing Usage Patterns and Repair Costs for Video Rhinolaryngoscopes at a Tertiary Academic Outpatient Center.

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Medical Device Maintenance
• Healthcare Economics

Background:

• Reusable video rhinolaryngoscopes are essential for outpatient diagnostics.
• The financial implications of maintaining these devices, particularly repair costs, are not fully understood.
• Reprocessing methods and equipment age may influence device longevity and repair frequency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the financial impact of video rhinolaryngoscope repairs.
• To determine the costs associated with video rhinolaryngoscope repairs.
• To assess the relationship between reprocessing patterns and repair frequency.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of repair and maintenance records for video rhinolaryngoscopes was conducted.
• Data were collected from two tertiary care academic centers (Hospital V and Hospital S) between 2019 and 2024.
• Reprocessing methods (manual vs. automated) and equipment age were compared.

Main Results:

• Hospital V, using manual reprocessing and newer equipment, incurred repair costs of $0.12 per examination.
• Hospital S, utilizing automated reprocessing and older equipment, faced repair costs of $11.26 per examination.
• A single repair at Hospital V cost $1940, while Hospital S reported 28 repairs totaling $87,950.

Conclusions:

• Equipment age and reprocessing practices significantly influence video rhinolaryngoscope repair costs and frequency.
• Manual reprocessing and newer equipment are associated with lower repair expenditures.
• The repair costs observed support the continued use of reusable video rhinolaryngoscopes.