Case study: Mobile X-ray equipment selection for a traumatology department using value engineering and multi-criteria decision methods

The methodology for a selection of medical devices was created within the study “Utilization of value engineering and multi-variate decision making in health technology assessment”. This case study presents the pilot implementation of the methodology. The aim was to select mobile X-ray equipment for a hospital department of traumatology. The study consists of two parts. First, a suitable type of the X-ray device was chosen, and in the second step, its particular brand was selected. The methodology takes into consideration clinical outcomes (e.g. radiation exposure of the patient and the staff), cost data (procurement of the appliance, service, spare parts, training, routine operation, etc.), and also technical parameters of the particular device. Device specifications and clinical outcomes were evaluated by the TOPSIS method combined with Saaty ́s method. Saaty ́s method is used for objectivization of the weights of individual criteria. On the basis of the obtained weights, the TOPSIS method ranks the variants in an ideal order taking into account real values of the variants. These values are subsequently used as the “effects” in the denominator of the cost-effectiveness ratio, while the cost calculation/estimation is used in the numerator. This study has proved the applicability of this methodology. In a case of a selection of a suitable type and brand of medical equipment, it provides us with a possibility of a complex view.