As a hospital administrator, you’re always looking for ways to improve workflow and increase patient comfort. For example, you may decide to revise the process for patient admission or perhaps add a new product to your hospital’s standard treatment regimen. However, sometimes products that look good on paper don’t always deliver the results you expect.
How can you avoid investing money in a product that may not be a good fit for your institution? Conduct a product pre-trial. These can also be called product evaluations, product assessments, product reviews, etc.
This post will cover why to conduct a product pre-trial, how to start the process and the steps involved in the trial.
Why Should I Conduct a Product Pre-Trial?
Pre-trials provide administrators insight into how a product will affect hospital efficiency and, most importantly, patient satisfaction, without having to commit to a product that may not produce the desired results.
When budget is limited, these trials can help make sure you get the most value for the dollars you invest. Participating in a product pre-trial is a simple way to try out a new product without making a significant expenditure.
How Do I Initiate a Product Pre-Trial?
A product pre-trial involves contacting a medical device manufacturer to obtain a small quantity of the product in which you’re interested. Your staff will then sample the product to help determine whether it is the right choice for your hospital.
But consider the following before you reach out to the manufacturer:
- What are the potential benefits and/or risks of this product?
- On whom will the product be tested?
- Who will supervise the pre-trial?
- Who will be the point of contact for the trial?
- What is the anticipated/desired outcome? How will data be collected?
- How will the results be presented?
Knowing the answers to these questions will help you better prepare for the pre-trial and be more confident in your choice of product to test.
What Happens During a Product Pre-Trial?
During your product pre-trial, the product will be tested on a sample group of patients. The staff members responsible for administering the study will record feedback from hospital employees and patients. This will assist you in assessing its effectiveness and ease of use.
As the staff evaluates the product, you may provide feedback to the medical device company to help the manufacturer improve their product, processes and marketing. In some cases, a product pre-trial can lead to sponsored research or investigator-initiated sponsored research.
Once the trial is complete and the data is evaluated, your organization can decide whether or not to use the product going forward.
If you’re considering a product pre-trial, most medical device manufacturers are more than happy to assist and will ensure you have the tools and information you need to properly perform the trial. In addition to supplying product, they’ll usually offer training to guarantee your entire staff understands how to use the product correctly.
Interested in participating in a product pre-trial for Gebauer’s Pain Ease® topical anesthetic skin refrigerant? Contact us and we’ll help you get started.
