Clinical chemistry equipment: a computerized system for cost evaluation.

A computerized decision-support system has been developed and implemented to assist in the economic evaluation of alternative clinical chemistry equipment configurations. The capabilities, structure, and relative merits of the system are discussed. This decision-support system is now being used extensively by hospitals in British Columbia. An alternative equipment configuration, identified with the aid of the system, resulted in one hospital alone saving an annual $200,000 in consumables and reagents costs. Further development of computerized economic evaluation systems is encouraged.