VALUE. DELIVERED.


The maturation of clinically integrated supply chain maturity models


by Karen Conway, Vice President, Healthcare Value, GHX


n 2017, the Association for Healthcare Resource and Materials Management (AHRMM) launched its Clini- cally Integrated Supply Chain (CISC) Task Force, under the direction of Jimmy Chung, MD, who will become chair of the association in . H defi ned IS as an interdisciplinary approach to deliver patient care with the highest value (high quality, best outcomes and minimal waste at the lowest cost of care) that is achieved through assimilation and coordination of clinical and supply chain knowledge, data and leadership toward care across the continuum that is safe, timely, evidencedbased, effi cient, equitable and patient focused.”


I Unwarranted


variation reduction (process, products, vendors)


Vendor and product


standardization


Better product pricing


Inventory Utilization Tracking


Lower costs (of care, products, operations)


Less waste (First In, First Out)


Fewer Medical Errors


Real time alerts about expired or recalled products


Better inventory


management and visibility


1 Better Outcomes Higher value- based payments


Real world data on product


performance


Since then, several other organiations have offered their own defi ni tions and/or maturity models that generally fall into two different areas of emphasis: • Using clinical evidence to reduce unwarranted variation in how care is delivered (including products used), resulting in lower costs and better quality care


• Tracking inventory utilization to minimize medical errors and adverse events and generate real world evidence on what works best on which patient populations It is not about choosing one model over another, but rather understand- ing the full breadth of clinical-supply chain integration and how the various models are both complementary and mutually reinforcing, as depicted below.


Clinically Integrated Supply Chain Value Flow Chart


Evidence for product selection


Use of clinical evidence can help clinicians and supply chain


collaborate to determine the best products that deliver the best care at the most optimal price. Armed with this data, hospitals and health systems can standardie on specifi c products and vendors, often resulting in better contract pricing. Less variation can also increase clinician familiarity with the product, often resulting in fewer errors in use. On the other hand, by tracking inventory, clinicians can be alerted in real time if a product that is expired or recalled is about to be used on a patient. Better inventory visibility also supports practices that reduce waste by prioritizing the use of products that are closest to their expiration dates. Capturing data on which products are used


46 May 2021 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS • hpnonline.com


on which patients not only supports better case costing, it can also help generate more real world evidence on how products perform in routine clinical practice, which can further support variation reduction efforts. The use of inventory management tools and practices in the clinical environment is central to a couple of the maturity models. Developed prior to the pandemic, these models do not reference how better inventory utilization tracking can support demand plan- ning, a topic that has garnered considerable attention in the wake of severe supply shortages (See the September 2020 issue of Standard Practices, https://hpnonline.com/21150785). While the magnitude of the pandemic may have still resulted in shortages, hospitals could


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52