The Costs of a Medical Non-Contact Thermometer

What is a Medical Thermometer?

Medical thermometers are at the core of healthcare, the gold standard on which medical decisions are made. They are used in every hospital, on every ward, and on every patient. The importance of medical thermometers is paramount, so choosing the right device requires the consideration of many factors by hospitals.

In light of recent government announcements in the UK, the NHS is facing a £9 billion budget cut in 2021-2022¹ so there is an urgent need for hospitals to reduce expenditure where possible.

The Hidden Costs of Medical Thermometers

Many hospitals don’t realise that there are hidden costs associated with traditional medical thermometers and the significant impact they can have on available budget. Research carried out by TriMedika shows that on average 10 contact thermometers are being disposed of in hospitals due to breakages or theft every week² equating to in the region of 520 devices per year. Because thermometers are essential equipment, used so frequently, these cost inefficiencies can quickly add up.

Hospitals worldwide are making the switch to non-contact medical thermometers. The TRITEMP™ CE marked, non-contact medical thermometer, is saving hospitals tens of thousands of pounds per year. TRITEMP™ requires no plastic consumables and breakage rates are negligible so significant cost savings are achieved. Some manufacturers report breakage and defective rates of up to 70%³. Hospitals may unnecessarily be replacing multiple devices when there is a more efficient alternative.

TRITEMP™ is a low energy device and therefore able to provide up to 20,000 uses with its original batteries. The robust design, created with nurses in mind, is built to stand up to the needs of the busy ward setting.

Reducing Costs with a Sustainable Medical Thermometer

Another hidden cost is the recurring cost of consumables associated with contact thermometers. With a 900-bed hospital using approximately 3 million thermometer probe covers per year4, this recurring cost is significant. Plastic consumables account for 97% of hospital thermometer budgets in the NHS5, so eliminating this cost reduces budget constraints, without compromising on quality. The disposal of this contaminated plastic waste is also a hidden monetary cost to hospitals, another disadvantage of contact thermometers.

Fig. 1. Year 1 Costs – Contact Thermometers

By comparison, TRITEMP™ requires no plastic consumables and defective rates are negligible when used in accordance with the Instructions for Use, so significant cost savings are achieved.

Additionally, there is an environmental cost to consider. With the sheer volume of single-use plastic probe covers associated with traditional medical thermometers such as tympanic, axillary and rectal, comes a significant impact on the environment. Healthcare systems are being urged to urgently decrease their carbon footprint; non-contact medical thermometers provide a solution for this problem with multiple benefits.

FAQs

References

1 https://www.hsj.co.uk/finance-and-efficiency/nhs-budget-to-fall-by-9bn-next-year-as-covid-funding-is-scaled-back/7029612.article
2 Calculation based on a 500-bed hospital, 3 beds per device. 10 breakages per week (current thermometer). Consumables cost 6p. £110 per device (current thermometer). TRITEMP™ cost per device £200.
3 TriMedika internal survey
4 TriMedika internal statistic
5 https://www.henleysmed.com/tritemp/-non-contact-thermometer