When it's your job to make medical equipment purchases, you want to be sure you're making well-informed decisions. ECRI, an independent health services research agency, is here to help. ECRI's Health Devices International Sourcebase and 2007 Health Devices Sourcebook are now available with critical information needed by healthcare materials managers, purchasers, and biomedical engineers.

Sourcebase, an easy-to-use online database, contains profiles of more than 15,000 manufacturers and distributors of medical equipment worldwide-from minimally invasive surgery equipment to healthcare information technology products. Updated monthly, Sourcebase saves users time with its search capabilities and direct links to key personnel e-mail addresses and company Web sites.

Sourcebase users gain a competitive edge in making informed purchasing decisions; the resource is also an ideal reference for device manufacturers and marketers. The searchable database includes typical price ranges, cross-reference terms, commonly used names for each device, and device descriptions. Users can view supplier profiles, which contain general company information, including history, annual sales, and financial information as well as executive contacts with direct e-mail links, where available.

ECRI also offers Sourcebase Gold. Users get access to tables of downloadable raw data from device manufacturers, enabling facilities to keep their manufacturer and device information current.

ECRI's 2007 Health Devices Sourcebook, the comprehensive print partner to Sourcebase, is the original directory relied on for 29 years. It contains more than 6,800 U.S. and Canadian manufacturers, distributors, and service companies with addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail and Web addresses, all verified by ECRI experts.

Both Sourcebase and Sourcebook include terms and codes for medical product classification and information retrieval from ECRI's Universal Medical Device Nomenclature System™ (UMDNS™). UMDNS is the industry-standard vocabulary and coding system with thousands of users worldwide, including hospitals, regulatory agencies, manufacturers, and e-commerce Web sites. UMDNS covers all medical devices and supplies, capital equipment, laboratory reagents and instrumentation, and selected hospital equipment and furniture.

ECRI is offering a discounted combination price of $795 for 12-month, 10-user access to Health Devices International Sourcebase and the 2007 Health Devices Sourcebook. Purchased separately, Sourcebase is available for $575 for 12-month, 10-user access, and the 2007 Health Devices Sourcebook is available for $465. Visit www.ecri/Sourcebase to view a presentation highlighting the user benefits of these resources.

For more information or to order, contact ECRI at (610) 825-6000, ext. 5891, circulationecri, or 5200 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA, 19462.

ECRI, an independent, nonprofit health services research and patient safety agency, provides information and technical assistance to the worldwide healthcare community to support safe and cost-effective patient care. It is a Collaborating Center of the World Health Organization and an Evidence-based Practice Center as designated by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare, Research, and Quality. Visit ecri for more information.