Equipping for obese patients is a costly undertaking

Healthcare Financial Management, Annual, 2006 by P. Betbeze

Hospitals can expect to pay up to five times more for equipment that is specially reinforced for obese patients. Take wheelchairs. One major hospital system pays $915 for an oversized wheelchair versus $165 for a standard chair.

Adopting a hospitalwide approach for purchasing oversized equipment could save money in the long run. A multidisciplinary committee should consider some overarching questions: Should the hospital equip all service lines with oversized equipment? Or should hospitals equip only certain programs, such as bariatric surgery, that serve a lot of obese patients? How can oversized equipment be shared across service lines when needed?

Betbeze, P., "Size Matters," HealthLeaders Magazine, February 2005 (www.healthleaders.com).