Getting Oriented: Who’s in the Room and What Brought You Here

• Who from your team will be involved in this discovery and decision process? Options: Interventional cardiologist, Interventional radiologist, Cath lab director, Hybrid OR / OR director, Hospital administrator / CFO, Biomedical/clinical engineer, Procurement, Nurse manager / clinical educator, Facilities / project manager, Other
• Which single statement best captures why you engaged in this conversation today? Options: Replace an aging system, Equip a new hybrid OR, Increase procedural capacity, Address dose concerns, Improve integration/workflow, Resolve service/reliability issues, Regulatory/compliance need, Other
• What is your target decision/timing window for selecting a solution (rough range is fine)? Options: ASAP (<3 months), Near-term (3–6 months), Mid-term (6–12 months), Longer-term (12–24 months), Flexible / Undecided
• What capital range is leadership currently prepared to consider for this project? Options: <$500k, $500k–1M, $1M–2.5M, $2.5M–5M, >$5M, Unsure / Needs approval
• Who is the ultimate approver for capital, and who are the key clinical influencers? Please name roles (or names) and their top priority if known.

Are You Comfortable Running With the Status Quo?

• If nothing changes, where do you expect this lab to be in two years—more delays, more cancellations, or functioning similarly? Options: More cancellations, More delays and throughput loss, About the same, Worse patient/dose issues, Unsure
• Which recurring problems have you tacitly accepted rather than addressed?
• How often do procedures get delayed or cancelled specifically because of imaging equipment or integration issues? Options: Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Rarely, Never
• When those delays or cancellations occur, who in your organization absorbs the clinical or financial impact? Options: Cath lab director, Department chair, Hospital administration / finance, Scheduling team, Surgeons/interventionalists, Patients/families, Other
• How long have these tolerances (delays/downtime/dose compromises) been part of your normal operations? Options: <6 months, 6–12 months, 1–3 years, 3–5 years, >5 years

Where It Really Hurts — Moments That Break the Day

• Think of the last case where imaging quality or room layout contributed to a complication, near-miss, or a cancelled case—what happened and how did it feel for the team?
• How frequently does image quality limit your ability to choose devices or procedural approaches? Options: Often, Sometimes, Rarely, Never
• Which procedure types feel most constrained by your current imaging (select all that apply)? Options: PCI / coronary interventions, CTO PCI, Structural (TAVR, MitraClip), Peripheral interventions, Interventional radiology embolizations, Neuro interventions, Electrophysiology / EP lab, Other
• Have you had staff radiation exposure concerns or any recorded patient dose incidents in the past 12 months? Options: Yes — documented incident, Yes — informal/concerns raised, No documented incidents, Unsure
• When imaging constrains throughput, which root causes are usually responsible? Options: Detector field-of-view/coverage, C-arm reach/positioning limits, Room footprint blocks equipment placement, Poor image quality at low dose, Slow integrations with monitors/EMR, Service downtime / repair lead time, Workflow / staffing bottlenecks, Other
• Describe a recent case where dose management mattered — what did you wish your system could have done differently?

Have We Been Selling the Problem Wrong?

• What common vendor assumptions about upgrading imaging do you find misleading or irrelevant to your reality?
• Which vendor claims do you most often find overstated or unhelpful when evaluating systems? Options: Low dose with equal image quality, Service SLAs always met, Plug-and-play integrations, Fits any room footprint, Training is straightforward, Installation is quick, Other
• Which integrations cause your team the most headaches (pick all that apply)? Options: Hemodynamic monitoring, PACS/Imaging archive, EMR/procedure documentation, EP recording systems, Anesthesia monitoring, OR video/AV, IT/security/firewall, Other
• How confident are you that a new imaging platform can be integrated without disrupting existing workflows? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Unsure, Not confident
• If a vendor offered a turnkey room plan, what specific concerns would make you skeptical?

If Money and Approvals Weren’t the Problem — What Would You Choose?

• If capital and approvals were instantaneous, what three capabilities would you add to this lab right away?
• Which of these outcomes are top priorities for this project? (select up to 5) Options: Image quality at low dose, Maximum detector coverage / FOV, Flexible C-arm / ceiling mount options, Seamless hemodynamic/EP integration, AI-assisted dose monitoring/alerts, Remote service/diagnostics, Guaranteed uptime SLA, Room footprint optimization, Comprehensive training & credentialing
• Which single outcome would most convince leadership to invest? Options: Increase throughput / capacity, Reduce cancellations due to downtime, Lower patient and staff radiation dose, Enable new procedure types, Reduce lifetime service cost / faster repairs, Other
• How would improved image quality at lower dose change the types of cases you accept or clinical decisions you make?
• Can you estimate the annual revenue or capacity impact from reducing cancellations or increasing throughput by a modest percent (give number or best guess)?

Walls, Wires, and Power — The Practical Barriers We Must Solve

• What is the single physical or technical constraint at your site that vendors almost always underestimate?
• Which site constraints apply to the room(s) under consideration? (select all that apply) Options: Insufficient power capacity, Limited ceiling height, Door width / corridor access, Control room space limits, Floor load restrictions, HVAC / cooling limits, IT/firewall policies, Permitting/backlog, None of the above
• Do you have an in-house project manager and a facilities owner assigned to room builds/retrofits? Options: Yes — both assigned, Yes — either PM or facilities, No — not assigned yet, Unsure
• What IT / security policies (firewall, HL7, DICOM, VPN) could realistically delay integration, and how long do those approvals usually take?
• What is your facilities group's typical timeline estimate for a room build or retrofit from approval to turnover? Options: 3–6 weeks, 6–12 weeks, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, Depends — provide details
• Who signs off on installation windows and permits, and what are the common reasons they stall?

Who Will Fight for This Project? — Politics, Champions, and Risks

• If this project needed an internal champion to push through capital approval, who would realistically step up and why?
• How politically risky is this project inside your organization? Options: Very risky — likely to face pushback, Some risk — needs championing, Low risk — expected, No risk — broadly supported, Unsure
• What objections do you expect from finance or procurement and what information would neutralize them?
• Has a similar capital request been rejected in the past 2–3 years? If so, what was the reason? Options: Yes — cost/prioritization, Yes — unclear ROI, Yes — technical concerns, No — not rejected, Unsure
• Which pieces of evidence would most sway a skeptical approver (pick up to 4)? Options: Detailed ROI model, Downtime cost analysis, Reference site visits, Clinical outcome case studies, Dose reduction data, Service uptime guarantees, Trial/pilot data
• Who should be on the governance committee post-purchase (list roles or names if known)?

Testing the Promise — How Will You Know It’s Working?

• What concrete signals will let you declare the upgrade a success at 30, 90, and 365 days?
• Which KPIs must be met for formal acceptance? Options: Image quality benchmarks (objective), Dose-per-procedure targets, Procedure volume / throughput, Average case time reduction, Equipment uptime percentage, Staff radiation exposure reduction, Integration / documentation reliability, Training completion and competency, Patient outcome metrics
• Who will own post-install validation and sign formal acceptance/hand-over? Options: Cath lab director, Department chair, Biomedical engineering, Clinical educator/super-user, Hospital project manager, Other
• Do you currently capture baseline image quality and dose metrics that we can use for comparison? Options: Yes — detailed logs available, Yes — rough estimates only, No baseline metrics, Unsure
• If initial outcomes fall short of targets, what escalation or remediation path would you expect?
• Would you be open to a pilot case series or staged acceptance to validate performance before full sign-off? Options: Yes, Maybe — depends on terms, No

Learning & Change — Training, Adoption, and Handover

• What typically kills clinical adoption after a promising installation — training gaps, workflow friction, or staff resistance? Options: Training gaps, Workflow friction, Staff resistance, Service/uptime issues, Other
• How do your clinicians prefer to learn new imaging capabilities? Options: Hands-on proctoring in OR, Classroom + e-learning modules, Simulation lab sessions, Peer-to-peer mentoring / super-users, Vendor-led workshops, Other
• Approximately how many clinicians/operators will require credentialing or competency sign-off on the new system? Options: 1–3, 4–6, 7–10, >10, Unsure
• What training schedule minimizes disruption to caseload (evenings/weekends, block days, staggered sessions, etc.)? Options: Evenings / weekends, Block off consecutive days, Staggered short sessions, During historically low-volume weeks, Other
• Who should own long-term user adoption — vendor clinical educators, local super-users, or a combined model? Options: Vendor-led ownership, Local super-user ownership, Joint vendor + local, Other
• Describe a past training or implementation that worked well for you — what made it successful?

Ready to Map the Next Steps?

• If we leave this meeting having done one thing, what single next step would move this project forward most effectively?
• Which immediate next steps do you want us to prioritize? Options: On-site technical survey, Proof-of-concept demo / image sessions, Tailored ROI & total cost model, Initial room design concept, Reference site visit, Pilot case series, Draft commercial terms for review
• Who should we schedule the site survey or demo with, and what dates/times are realistic over the next 2–4 weeks?
• What concerns must our proposal address to make it easy for your approvers to say yes?
• Would you like a tailored ROI and high-level schedule estimate delivered within 7 business days? Options: Yes — please deliver, Maybe — discuss first, No — not necessary
• Is there anything we haven’t asked that would change how we approach your situation?

A Quick Tour of Your Lab Right Now

• Which procedure environments should we map during this discovery? Options: Cath lab(s), Interventional Radiology suite(s), Hybrid OR(s), Electrophysiology lab(s), Angio/fluoro room(s) elsewhere, Other (please specify)
• Who are the core stakeholders we should include or speak with (clinical, technical, operational, finance)? Options: Interventional cardiologist(s), Interventional radiologist(s), Cath lab director/manager, OR/hybrid manager, Biomedical/clinical engineering, IT/cybersecurity, Facilities/plant ops, Finance/capital planning, Other (please name)
• How many active procedure rooms that use fluoroscopic imaging do you run today, and how are they typically labeled or used?
• Please estimate monthly procedural volume across those rooms (total combined): Options: < 50, 50–100, 101–200, 201–400, 401–800, > 800
• Describe the typical case mix and complexity in a week (examples: CTO PCI, peripheral interventions, complex embolizations, TAVR support, EP cases).

Are We Accepting Radiation as a Cost of Doing Business?

• How much of the current patient and staff radiation exposure do you consider 'unavoidable' versus 'fixable'? Options: Mostly unavoidable, Some avoidable elements, Largely fixable with better tools/processes, Unsure
• What dose metrics do you track regularly (select all that apply)? Options: Dose-Area Product (DAP/KAP), Air Kerma at patient entrance, Fluoroscopy time, Cumulative dose reports per case, Staff badge dosimetry, We do not track consistent metrics
• Share a recent example where dose concerns changed clinical behavior or case strategy (what happened and how did staff react?).
• How often do staff badge reports or dose reviews trigger formal follow-up (education, workflow change, equipment review)? Options: Monthly, Quarterly, Rarely, Never, Only after an incident
• Which dose-reduction technologies or practices have you tried, and what was the result? Options: Collimation/field-size discipline, Low-dose fluoroscopy presets, Roadmapping and last-image hold, Pulse-rate reduction, Shielding changes, Vendor dose-management tools, None of the above

When Throughput Turns into a Bottleneck

• Which procedures or times of day routinely create delays or cancellations because of imaging availability or performance? Options: Emergent cases displacing scheduled cases, Long complex cases blocking prime time, Equipment prep or warm-up delays, Imaging quality causing repeats, Other (please describe)
• What is your current average room turnover time between cases (estimate)? Options: < 20 minutes, 20–35 minutes, 36–50 minutes, 51–75 minutes, > 75 minutes, Don't track
• How often does imaging-related downtime directly cause a case cancellation or reschedule? Options: Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Rarely/Never
• Estimate the backlog or lost-case volume in the last 6–12 months attributable to imaging limitations (narrative or number).
• What throughput or capacity improvement would make a meaningful financial or clinical difference for you (e.g., +1 case/day, reduced OR overruns)? Options: Add 1–2 cases/day, Reduce overruns by 30%, Enable dedicated complex-case days, Other (describe)

Is the Room Cramped — or Just Badly Designed?

• What have you physically squeezed into the room to make procedures possible (mobile pumps, monitors, imaging add-ons)?
• What are the fixed architectural constraints we must account for (room dimensions, ceiling height, door sizes, floor loading)? Options: Room footprint adequate, Low ceiling height, Narrow doorways, Limited floor loading, Unusual HVAC ducting, Other structural limits
• How do current room constraints affect clinical choices—do you avoid certain devices or approaches because of space/equipment clashes? Options: Yes, often, Occasionally, Rarely, Never
• Describe any near-term renovation plans or constraints that would impact system selection (budgeted remodel, no renovations allowed, temporary moves). Options: Major remodel planned, Minor upgrades planned, No renovations planned, Waiting on capital approval
• If a new system required structural work (ceiling rigging, floor anchors), what approvals or lead times would that demand in your facility?

When the System Stops, What Gets Canceled?

• How costly is an unplanned imaging system outage to your service line (revenue, patient risk, staff overtime)? Options: Minimal, Noticeable but manageable, Significant financial and operational impact, Critical—major disruption
• How many unplanned outages or major service incidents have you had in the last 12 months? Options: 0, 1–2, 3–5, 6+
• What is your average time-to-repair for those incidents (hours/days), and who performs repairs? Options: Vendor field service—<24 hrs, Vendor—24–72 hrs, Third-party service—varied, Local biomedical handles first response, Other (explain)
• Do you have a formal uptime or availability target tied to service agreements, and are you meeting it? Options: Yes — target met, Yes — target missed, No formal target, Unsure
• Share a specific outage story that still influences trust in your imaging vendor today (what happened and what was the result?).

Red Tape That Kills Momentum

• What procurement rules or approval gates would surprise a vendor trying to win your business?
• Which of the following best describes your capital approval timeline for imaging equipment? Options: Under 3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, 12+ months, Dependent on fiscal year/capital cycle
• Do you tend to purchase outright, lease/finance, or use a capital lease for imaging systems? Options: Capital purchase, Lease/finance, Operating lease, Mix depending on budget, Unsure
• Are there contracting or compliance requirements that typically slow deals (e.g., approved vendor list, pre-qualifying trials, security questionnaires)? Options: Approved vendor list, Clinical evaluation/ trial, Extensive IT/security questionnaires, Local union rules, Other (specify)
• Who must sign off on final vendor selection (roles or committee names) and who is the ultimate decision owner?

How Connected Is Your Tech Ecosystem—Really?

• Which integrations are non-negotiable for a new imaging system (mark all that must be present at go-live)? Options: PACS/DICOM, EMR/ADT/HIS, Hemodynamic monitoring/EP recorder, Anesthesia records, OR scheduling/ERP, Device/implant tracking, Other (specify)
• Which interface standards do you require or prefer (HL7, DICOM, FHIR, vendor APIs)? Options: DICOM, HL7 v2/v3, FHIR, Proprietary APIs, No preference stated, Other (explain)
• Has your IT/security team ever rejected a vendor integration request? If yes, what was the primary reason? Options: Security concerns, Network capacity, Interoperability issues, Licensing/costs, No rejections
• Who owns the network and cybersecurity sign-off for medical devices in your organization (team/title)?
• Tell us about any past integration failures or painful go-live moments that we should avoid—what went wrong and how did it feel for the team?

What Small Win Would Change the Conversation?

• If one measurable improvement could happen in the next 90 days, what would push you from exploring to actively committing? Options: Demonstrated dose reduction, Proof of uptime/responsiveness, Room-fit/installation plan, Preliminary business case with ROI, Clinical staff endorsement, Other (specify)
• Which three metrics will the executive approvers insist on seeing in a proposal (e.g., cases/day, cost per case, uptime %)?
• What are the top blockers we should clear to make a timely recommendation (select all that apply)? Options: Capital approval, Clinical preference variability, Room build/permits, IT/security sign-off, Service contract negotiations, Other (describe)
• Who would you like to include in the next conversation or workshop to accelerate clarity (roles/names and availability)?
• How soon would you like a tailored current-state summary and next-step recommendation from us? Options: Within 1 week, 1–2 weeks, 3–4 weeks, Longer than 4 weeks, Unsure

Quick Intro: Who's Our Main Contact?

• Who will be the day-to-day site coordinator for pre-deployment and installation? Options: Cath Lab Director, Facilities Manager/Engineer, IT Director, Procurement Lead, Clinical Educator/Trainer, Other (please name)
• What is the full site address and which room(s) are planned for this installation?
• What target installation window are you currently planning for? Options: Next 30 days, 30–60 days, 2–4 months, 4–6 months, 6+ months, TBD
• Are there hard blackout dates or high-volume periods we must avoid? Options: Yes — provide dates, No, Unsure
• Have you run a major equipment installation like this before? Tell us one lesson you learned last time.

What If The Room Isn't Ready When the Truck Arrives?

• If the room build isn’t completed two days before installation, how would that impact scheduled cases and revenue? Options: Severe disruption — many cases canceled, Moderate disruption — some rescheduling, Minor impact, Unknown
• What is the current stage of the room build (select the best fit)? Options: Complete and cleared, Construction in final finishes, Structural work ongoing, Demolition/rough-in not started, We haven't started planning
• Which structural or architectural changes are still required (e.g., wall removal, ceiling reinforcement, lead shielding)?
• Who is responsible for completing and certifying the room build (team or vendor)? Options: Hospital Facilities, Third-party contractor, Vendor-provided contractor, Shared responsibility, Other
• How long do you estimate until the room will be physically ready for equipment delivery? Options: Under 2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 1–2 months, 2–3 months, Longer / unknown

Power & Cooling: Are We Confident the MEP Will Keep Up?

• If your electrical panel or backup generator can’t support the new system on day one, what contingency would you use? Options: Delay install, Temporary power upgrade, Reschedule high-load services, Other — explain
• Does the room currently have a dedicated medical-grade electrical circuit sized for the proposed equipment? Options: Yes — meets spec, Yes — needs minor upgrade, No — new feed required, Unsure
• What is the available panel capacity and breaker size serving the room? (If unknown, note 'Unknown')
• Is there verified UPS and generator coverage for the imaging system and critical integrations? Options: Full coverage for all systems, UPS only for select systems, No UPS/generator coverage, Unsure
• Are HVAC/cooling and room temperature controls confirmed to meet vendor requirements during peak procedure loads? Options: Yes — confirmed, Pending confirmation, No — remediation required, Unsure

Network & Integrations: Will Systems Talk Seamlessly?

• What would happen if EMR/HIS, hemodynamics, or PACS integrations were blocked by IT policy at go-live? Options: Critical delay to acceptance, We can operate with manual workarounds, We would limit procedures until fixed, Unsure
• Which systems must integrate with the new imaging platform? Options: EP recording systems, Hemodynamic monitoring, EMR (Epic/Cerner), PACS/DICOM archive, Procedure documentation, Anesthesia systems, Other
• Which integration standards and protocols are required (choose all that apply)? Options: DICOM, HL7v2, FHIR, Proprietary API, TCP/IP/socket, Other
• Does your IT/security team require firewall changes, VLAN segmentation, or third-party vendor access? If so, what's the typical approval lead time? Options: No changes required, Yes — 1–2 weeks, Yes — 2–4 weeks, Yes — 4+ weeks, Unsure
• Who is the IT owner we should coordinate with (name, role, best contact window)?

Permits, Inspections, and Paperwork That Can Freeze a Schedule

• If a local inspection fails the day before install, what internal process would get you back on schedule? Options: Expedite repair team, Reschedule install, Request emergency inspection, Other — describe
• Which permits or approvals are required prior to equipment delivery and installation? Options: Building permit, Electrical permit, Radiation safety clearance, Fire marshal sign-off, Hospital capital approval, None/unsure
• What are typical lead times for local permits and inspections in your facility or jurisdiction? Options: Less than 2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 1–2 months, 2+ months, Unknown
• Who manages permit submission and tracking on your side? Options: Facilities, Project Management Office, Vendor/Contractor, Procurement, Other
• Are there any special regulatory or union rules that could affect install hours or contractor access? Options: Yes — specify in next field, No, Unsure

Who Decides When 'Ready' Is Actually Ready?

• If the lead clinician signs off but facilities flag an unresolved issue, whose decision controls acceptance? Options: Clinical director, Facilities/engineering, Hospital administration, Joint governance panel, Other
• Which roles must sign the pre-deployment readiness checklist before installation proceeds? Options: Cath Lab Director, Radiation Safety Officer, Facilities Manager, IT Lead, Procurement/Finance, Other
• Who owns the final acceptance criteria and measurable success signals (image quality, uptime, dose targets)? Options: Clinical leadership, Vendor and clinical jointly, Hospital biomedical engineering, Service/operations leadership, Other
• What escalation path do you want if the installation risks missing a key milestone? Options: Weekly steering committee, Daily stand-ups during install, Escalate to director level, Ad-hoc as needed, Other
• Are there governance documents (SLA, MOU, capital approval memos) we should review before installation? Options: Yes — available, Yes — not yet compiled, No, Unsure

Imaging Acceptance: How Do We Know It Works at Day One?

• If the system meets vendor specs but clinicians find the images unacceptable at target dose, how will that be resolved? Options: Additional on-site tuning, Extend validation window, Escalate to vendor engineering, Defer acceptance, Other
• What are your minimum image quality and dose targets for acceptance (be specific where possible)?
• Will you require phantom and clinical-case validation at specified dose levels before final sign-off? Options: Yes — both phantom and clinical, Phantom only, Clinical cases only, No formal validation
• How many representative clinical cases (and which case types) should be used for go/no-go validation?
• What maximum downtime or service interruption is acceptable during validation and acceptance testing? Options: Under 4 hours, 4–8 hours, 8–24 hours, Longer — specify, Unsure

Training & Super-User Readiness: Will Your Team Be Confident on Day One?

• If the clinical team is only partially trained at handover, how would that affect patient scheduling and safety? Options: Significant case limitations, Limited procedures initially, Use vendor/credentialed staff support, No impact
• Which user groups require training before clinical use? Options: Interventional cardiologists, Interventional radiologists, Cath lab nurses/techs, Anesthesia, Biomedical engineering, Radiation safety team, Other
• How many super-users do you expect to certify per shift for independent first-line operation? Options: 1 per shift, 2 per shift, 3+ per shift, None designated yet, Unsure
• Do you prefer on-site hands-on training, remote/virtual sessions, or a blended approach? Options: On-site only, Remote only, Blended (on-site + remote), Self-paced materials first
• Are simulation runs or dry-runs with the full clinical team scheduled prior to live cases? Options: Yes — scheduled, Planned but not scheduled, No — not planned, Unsure

Hidden Risks & Contingencies: What's Your Plan B?

• What single unforeseen issue has derailed an install in your past projects and how was it resolved?
• Which of these worst-case risks are you most concerned about for this deployment? Options: Failed inspection, Power/network shortfall, Delayed equipment delivery, Staffing shortages, Vendor resource constraints, Other
• Do you have a contingency plan for urgent case coverage if installation overlaps scheduled procedures? Options: Alternate room available, Transfer to partner hospital, Use legacy equipment with limited capability, No contingency
• Is a temporary service agreement or loaner equipment acceptable if final system delivery is delayed? Options: Yes — acceptable, Prefer not, but possible, No — not acceptable, Unsure
• Do you have local service or third-party technicians available for after-hours support during the install window? Options: Yes — vendor-approved local partner, Yes — internal biomedical team, No, Unsure

Final Checklist: Who Signs, When, and How?

• If we commit to an install date today, what internal approvals must be in place before we schedule equipment delivery? Options: Capital approval, Facilities sign-off, IT security sign-off, Radiation safety approval, All of the above, Other
• What is your preferred cadence and channel for pre-deployment check-ins (e.g., weekly call, dashboard updates)? Options: Weekly steering call, Bi-weekly, Daily briefings in final week, Asynchronous project portal updates, Combination
• Who will be authorized to approve the final go/no-go for installation day? Options: Hospital administration, Clinical director, Facilities manager, Joint sign-off (clinical + facilities), Other
• List the key deliverables we should collect before confirming the installation date (e.g., drawings, permits, network diagrams). Options: Signed room drawings, Electrical/as-built diagrams, Network/firewall diagram, Radiation safety sign-off, Delivery access plan, Other
• What is the best date and time for a readiness walk with our delivery, facilities, IT, and clinical leads?

Start Here: What's Top of Mind?

• What's the single biggest reason you're exploring a new interventional imaging system right now? Options: Replace aging system, Equip a new hybrid OR, Expand capacity to meet demand, Improve image quality at low dose, Reduce staff/patient radiation exposure, Improve uptime and service reliability, Regulatory or accreditation requirements, Other
• Who is driving this project day-to-day and who will be your internal project champion? Options: Interventional cardiologist, Interventional radiologist, Cath lab director/manager, Department chair, Hospital/Health system admin, Biomedical/Facilities engineer, Other
• How soon do you expect to make a final decision? Options: Immediate / within 3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, 12+ months, Unsure
• What is the rough capital range you have available for this project? Options: Under $500k, $500k–$1M, $1M–$2M, $2M–$5M, Over $5M, Undecided
• In one sentence, what is the single outcome you want this new system to deliver?

Where You Really Are Right Now

• If nothing changes, how will your lab look a year from now—more crowded, slower, or constrained in ways that cost revenue? Options: More crowded and delayed, Throughput stagnates, Quality or dose issues worsen, Staffing burnout increases, Not sure
• Which imaging systems are you currently using in your interventional suites (select all that apply)? Options: Siemens, Philips, GE HealthCare, Canon/Toshiba, Smaller vendor or legacy system, Mixed vendors, Unknown / not sure
• Approximate annual case volumes for each service line (enter numbers for Cath/PCI, IR, Hybrid OR, EP):
• What are the most pressing dose-related concerns today? Options: High patient dose peaks during complex cases, Staff occupational exposure, Lack of dose monitoring/analytics, Pediatric or vulnerable patient population, No notable dose concerns
• Which systems do you currently integrate with the imaging platform (hemodynamics, EP recording, PACS, EMR, dose tracking)? Options: Hemodynamic/Philips/GE/etc., EP recording system, PACS, EMR/ADT/Order entry, Dose monitoring software, None of the above / uncertain
• How often do system issues (quality, integration, service) delay or cancel scheduled procedures? Options: Never, Rarely (a few times/year), Occasionally (monthly), Often (weekly), Regularly (multiple times/week)

What's Keeping Your Team Up at Night?

• How many high-revenue cases have you had to reschedule or divert in the last 12 months because of imaging or service failures—and what was the impact?
• Describe a recent case where imaging quality, dose limitations, or downtime affected clinical decisions or outcomes.
• How does your clinical team feel about the current system when handling complex or edge-case procedures? Options: Confident, Frustrated, Worried about safety/dose, Reluctant to perform high-complexity cases, Mixed
• Which three clinical or operational limitations of your current setup cost you most (choose up to three)? Options: Poor low-dose image quality, Small detector/field-of-view, Bulky equipment/room footprint, Slow workflows between imaging and hemodynamics, Lack of integration with devices/records, Poor service uptime, Insufficient staff training
• How long have these pain points been tolerated before initiating this replacement project? Options: Under 6 months, 6–12 months, 1–2 years, Over 2 years

Are We Settling For 'Good Enough'?

• What assumptions about 'acceptable' image quality, room footprint, or dose are you ready to challenge if the evidence shows measurable benefits? Options: Prioritizing lowest up-front cost, Keeping familiar vendor to avoid retraining, Accepting current dose levels as standard, Keeping current room layout to avoid construction, None / unsure
• Which internal rule or habit has historically constrained your procurement choices (e.g., existing vendor contracts, 'we always choose X', shortest procurement path)? Options: Existing service contract, Preferred-vendor list, Clinician preference for familiarity, Capital-cycle timing, Other
• Who typically raises the toughest objections during capital approvals—clinical leaders, finance, facilities, or risk/compliance—and why? Options: Clinical leaders (safety/outcomes), Finance (cost/ROI), Facilities/engineering (build complexity), Risk/compliance (regulatory), Other
• What evidence or proof would tip internal skeptics toward saying yes? Options: Peer-site visit/demo, Quantified ROI model, Clinical trial data, Service/uptime guarantees, Pilot/test period, Other
• If improving low-dose imaging saved measurable time per case, how likely is leadership to prioritize that over initial capital cost? Options: Very likely, Somewhat likely, Unlikely, Need proof/data

Paint the Win: What 'Better' Actually Looks Like

• If your lab performed flawlessly for six months after upgrade, what three outcomes would you want to report to your board?
• Which of these metrics matter most for proving success (select up to three)? Options: Case throughput / number of cases, Average procedure time, Radiation dose reduction (%), Downtime hours avoided, Procedure-related complication rates, Revenue retained/added, Staff exposure metrics
• What target dose-reduction percentage would you consider a meaningful clinical win? Options: Less than 10%, 10–25%, 25–50%, Greater than 50%, Unsure
• What throughput or capacity improvement (e.g., cases per day/week) would make this investment unquestionably worth it?
• Who must sign off that the system met these success metrics after installation? Options: Department chair, Cath lab director, Hospital admin/CFO, Clinical engineering/biomed, Quality/safety officer, Other

Try On the Solution: How Should It Feel in the Room?

• Imagine the room after installation—what immediate difference during a complex procedure would make you certain the system was the right choice?
• Which features are non-negotiable to include in a demonstration or clinical evaluation? Options: Low-dose live fluoroscopy modes, Large flat-panel detector / extended coverage, 3D rotational angiography / cone-beam CT, Image fusion / roadmapping, Seamless hemodynamics / EP integration, Remote service & diagnostics, Flexible ceiling/floor mounting for footprint constraints
• How long of an on-site clinical evaluation (demo/trial) would you need to be confident in adoption? Options: Single-day demo, 3–5 day on-site demo, 1–4 week trial, 1–3 month site evaluation, Not sure
• Who must be present for clinical evaluation sessions to validate performance (list roles)? Options: Interventional cardiologist, Interventional radiologist, Cath lab director/manager, Radiology technologist/RT, Biomedical engineer/biomed, IT/network admin, Hospital admin
• How will you objectively assess image quality at target dose—phantom testing, blinded reader scoring, or real-case endpoints? Options: Phantom-based metrics, Blinded reader evaluation, Comparative cases at target dose, Clinical outcome proxies, Combination of above, Undecided

Where Installation Often Breaks Down

• What single overlooked room, power, or IT detail has derailed past installations—and how long did recovery take?
• Do you have as-built room drawings, MEP (mechanical/electrical/plumbing) plans, and shielding specs available? Options: Complete and current, Partial / needs updating, In progress, Not available
• Who owns room build permits, contractors, and sign-off at your facility? Options: Facilities/engineering, Project management office, External contractor, Clinical leadership, Shared responsibility
• Are there constraints we should know about (ceiling height, HVAC, floor loading, lead shielding, seismic anchoring)? Options: Ceiling height, HVAC/clean air, Floor load limits, Lead shielding requirements, Seismic or structural issues, No constraints / unsure
• What IT/integration policies will affect deployment (firewall, DICOM routing, HL7, VPN, on-prem vs cloud)?

Who Holds the Keys to 'Yes'?

• If this project stalls, whose ‘no’ is most likely to stop it—and what would persuade them otherwise?
• Please list decision-makers, their role, and their primary concern (clinical, financial, operational, compliance):
• Who has final budget authority for capital purchases like this? Options: CFO/Finance, Hospital CEO/Executive Team, Capital committee, Department chair, Other
• Are there procurement constraints (preferred vendor lists, incumbent service contracts, buy-back programs) that could limit vendor selection? Options: Preferred vendor list, Existing long-term service contract, Buy-back/upgrade clause, No constraints identified, Unsure
• What would be the most helpful next step to maintain momentum? Options: On-site demo, ROI and TCO model, Room survey/MEP review, Executive briefing, Peer site visit, Clinical trial proposal

Risks, Red Flags, and How We'll Handle Them

• If this procurement or deployment goes sideways, what is the worst realistic outcome for your service line, and who bears that impact?
• What are the top three risks you foresee during procurement and deployment (technical, clinical, financial, scheduling)?
• How sensitive is this project to schedule slippage—can you absorb delays without clinical or financial consequences? Options: Cannot miss scheduled dates (critical), Some flexibility but costly, Flexible timeline, Unsure
• What minimum uptime or SLA would you require to accept the system? Options: 99.9% / 24x7, 99% / 24x7, 95% / business hours, Custom SLA tied to case volume, Unsure
• What emergency service response times are essential for your lab (choose the fastest acceptable) Options: Under 4 hours, 4–8 hours, 8–24 hours, 24–72 hours, On-site within contract days

Close the Loop: How Will We Keep This Partnership Honest?

• If we set success metrics today and never revisit them, how quickly would this project fade into 'business as usual'? Options: Within 3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, We would keep active governance
• How often would you prefer formal success reviews after installation? Options: Weekly for first month, Monthly for first 3 months, Quarterly for first year, Biannually/Annually, Other
• What format for issue reporting and enhancement requests works best for your team? Options: Shared online channel (Slack/Teams), Email with ticketing, Vendor portal, Regular governance meetings, Combination
• Who should be part of the post-installation governance or success team? Options: Clinical champion (physician), Cath lab manager, Biomedical engineer, IT/network lead, Hospital admin/finance, Vendor account manager
• Would you require documented remediation steps or financial remedies if acceptance criteria are not met? Options: Yes, documented remediation & penalties, Yes, remediation plan only, Maybe / depends on case, No
• What would make you comfortable recommending this vendor to peers after a successful deployment?