Vendor questionnaire to evaluate product quality, service, and support

A questionnaire was developed to obtain verifiable data on the quality of a manufacturer's product, availability and quality of service, qualifications of service personnel, availability of spare parts, availability of inservice training programs for users and clinical engineering staff, history and future support of product, and technical requirements for preventive maintenance and repair. The questionnaire was constructed on the premise that product quality, service, and support throughout the life of the instrument are of equal importance to the function and price in purchase decisions. They play an important role in determining the true cost of patient monitoring equipment and contribute to the quality, safety, and efficiency of patient care.