Rational Decision-Making in Purchasing Medical Devices

Abstract

Medical device procurement is a complex process that involves the selection of the product and its supplier. Hospital management tends to make medical device purchasing decisions by predominantly relying on healthcare professionals’ experiences and observational trials on the devices. This study proposes a decision support model to purchase medical devices and compares the findings from different approaches. The study uses TOPSIS and fuzzy-TOPSIS methods to evaluate six mechanical ventilators under eight criteria. The results revealed that TOPSIS and fuzzy-TOPSIS approaches ranked alternatives in the same order at each scenario, except the fourth and fifth alternatives being in different ranking order. This study, once again, highlights the value of MCDM methods in rational decision making in purchasing medical devices. The study suggests that integrating fuzzy logic, gathering a team of experts and determining multiple scenarios have value in supporting decision-making.