Over recent years, the DNA of a hospital system within the United States has changed. In the past, there were more standalone hospitals, and today, more and more networks of hospitals have become the norm.

While this has been an important finding, the effects of this new dynamic are still being understood – and still changing. For example, the purchase decision process has evolved to include different decision makers and influencers. A radiologist may have had a significant role in the purchase decision of an x-ray machine in a standalone hospital, but their role may be reduced to influencer (or no involvement at all) when that decision is being made for multiple facilities.

The purchase decision is a critical one, and while users of various equipment and medicine have seen their level of influence in some cases diminish, it is also important for equipment and medicine providers to better understand how that purchase decision could be negatively impacted as a result of users not having more of a say. Ease of use, for example, is a critical component. As providers, not only does the conversation shift in order to address these new decision makers, but that conversation may need to educate the decision makers on the factors identified as most important by the users. Doing research in this regard also gives you a talking point when pitching your solution versus a competitor.