Whenever you hear the word “automated external defibrillator”, you must wonder what a costly investment it must be! Whether you are buying an AED equipment for an office together with an AED program, the AED price is a genuine concern.
From customers’ perspective, it is rather “why do they cost so much” than ‘how much does an AED cost’. It would be best if you broke down all the aspects of an AED device – the research and development cost, the AED training cost, the maintenance cost, then you will find the key to the question.
Breaking Down All the Factors That Affect AED Cost!
-
Cost of Research and Development
As AED equipment is considered one of the most effective rescue methods for sudden cardiac arrest, every AED company needs to ensure that the manufacturing and R & D requirements of AED are strict and perfect. Therefore, the R & D cost accounts for the majority of the whole project. For instance, Mindray, as a global AED manufacturing company, devotes 10% of its revenue to the R&D each year so as to ensure the quality and reliability of its products.
AED devices are placed not only indoors but also outdoors suffering from the harsh environment. Here comes a must for a strict test of AED equipment to ensure that it is intact whenever people use it. For example, Mindray AED must undergo a rigorous drop test, vibration test, and water resistance test to ensure physical durability.
Besides, AED accessories such as batteries and AED replacement pads also need to be developed and tested separately. Both pads and battery must have a stable and long shelf life since AED equipment in public may stay unused for years; and nobody wants to use expired AED pads or low-power batteries that affect the effect of AED shock when there is a need. 5-year (from date of manufacturing) is a proper cycle that meets the practical needs and Mindray is able to make that happen for both pads and battery, which requires a lot of R&D and testing investment as well.
You now understand why an AED price is so high. When an AED brand sets aside a large sum of money for R & D laboratories, it is not just for one piece of equipment but also for the whole set of machinery that the brand makes. If the research and development Department of AED equipment is unsure whether the equipment can work perfectly, many patients who suffer SCA may lose their lives, which will be a huge irretrievable loss.
-
Cost of AED Accessories
Successful implementation of an AED program does not mean that only one AED device is enough. In fact, you also need to buy AED accessories, such as AED replacement pads and batteries mentioned earlier. Many AEDs come with adult pads only. If your AED device may be used for infants and children, you may want to consider buying a set of child pads or an AED with child settings.
Moreover, to save the maintenance cost and give full play of the AED device, an AED box and AED wall mounted bracket are the guard that we need to prepare. The AED wall mounted bracket and AED box can prevent AED equipment from natural damage (sunlight and rain) and human-made damage to the greatest extent. In most cases, AED boxes generally have alarms and tracking systems for local state tracking devices.
The addition of AED accessories also accounts for a large proportion of AED price.
-
Cost of Maintaining an AED
AED device is always in a waiting state; thus, the owner of an AED has a responsibility to ensure that the AED is running smoothly when in use, which is why inspection of the AED is necessary. Inspection of an AED equipment includes the need to periodically check whether the AED replacement pads and AED batteries are expired. They need to be replaced in time when expired, which will incur costs. Some AED companies also provide online tracking systems to provide real-time updates on the usage of AEDs that are connected to the system which reduces the need of checking each device offline. Alert AED management system is an online platform developed by Mindray that can be used to manage/monitor each of their AED equipment. Customers can use this system to track the device location, check the device self-test report as well as the expiratory information of accessories. Still, the true maintenance cost of an AED is at least $200 a year, according to a study of the Cost-effectiveness of Automated External Defibrillator Deployment in Selected Public Locations [1].
What to Look for When Making AED Purchase?
Only from the perspective of AED price, it can feel high. However, from the point of view that an AED device can save the lives of patients with cardiac arrest, it has extremely high cost-effectiveness. This is why so many organizations and institutions encourage the installation of an AED device in communities, offices, homes, and other public places.
There are some critical points to pay attention to when purchasing AED equipment.
Whether the brand reputation of the AED equipment you are going to buy is appreciated or not? When deciding to buy an expensive project, you should learn as much as possible from the previous buyers about the situation of the product and how the service the AED brand provides.
In addition, you need to make sure that the accessories of the defibrillator to buy online are complete. If you foresee that your AED device will be used for children, a pad for children is what you need to prepare as well. For those AED brands who provide adu/ped 2-in-1 pads, it will be a bonus.
It is wise of you to buy AED equipment that complies with local regulations, which means that the AED equipment is guaranteed. Not only that, some states will require connection with your AED to make it easier to maintain and share the AED location later. If there is a sudden cardiac arrest around you, your equipment can be used in time.
If you are considering buying an AED, Mindray AED, one of the best AED brands around the world, is an option to choose from. Mindray AED, divided into fully automated and semi-automatic AED, is equipped with the most advanced technology and has passed the CE certification. It has given full play of its role for many countries in the world with affordable AED price.
Reference:
[1] Cost-effectiveness of Automated External Defibrillator Deployment in Selected Public Locations. Journal of the General Internal Medicine. Volume 18, Issue 9, September 2003, Pages 745-754. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1494915/ (Accessed: 19 April 2021)
