STRATEGIC SOURCING & LOGISTICS
IEEE 11073 SDC standards where many vendors are working together to assist our shared customers in realizing the benefi ts of interoperability.”
Angela Carranza Tom Redding
3. Turnover time remains too long due to cleaning, disinfecting and sterilizing room post-procedure. “With hospital acquired infections (HAI) impacting reimbursement rates, hospitals are looking to their vendor partners for assistance in limiting this fi nancial risk. Vendors can help mitigate this risk by intro- ducing a new or modifi ed design, like what Draeger introduced with our Perseus A500 anesthesia device, which offers smoother surfaces and improved cable management for cleaning effi ciency. Another strategy for vendors to help mitigate this risk is creating more fl exible use of a device, as we did with the Infi nity Acute Care System (IACS) patient monitor, where the same IACS monitor stays with the patient from the time they enter the hospital until they are discharged. Our Infi nity M540 is utilized as a Pre-op, transport, OR, and PACU monitor. While different, these two strategies can aid hospitals with their infection con- trol efforts.”
4. Restocking and inventory access remains problem- atic such that circulating nurses scramble to obtain what surgeons need – sometimes during proce- dures. “Scrambling for inventory can be a stressful experience, not just for the surgeons, but also for nurses, anesthesia techs, and the Biomed/HTM team. In addition, infection control risk may be introduced by exiting and re-entering the OR. We as vendors can help by standardizing our accessories and consum- ables across product lines. This is something Draeger introduced many years ago in order to simplify the ordering and use process.”
Angela Carranza, CST, Lean Certifi ed, Manager of Clinical Resources, Medline Industries
1. Other – Lack of integration between preference card systems, instrument-tracking systems and surgi- cal and patient information systems. “Perioperative teams often each use a different operating system, but they usually aren’t integrated with one another. This lack of integration limits predictive ordering and each system impacts another. For example, if prefer- ence cards aren’t updated in all systems, it increases the risk of necessary supplies going unordered. In the perioperative setting – all systems need to fl ow in order for the OR business to be a success, so this means streamlined communication, ordering, activ- ity from the supply docking area, sterile processing department and up to the OR suite(s).”
2. Physician preference items add to inventory and procedural costs. “Hospitals continue to experience an increase in operating expenses so understand- ably, leaders are focusing on cost savings initiative. Some physician preference items can be expensive, but I caution leaders to take a closer look at product substitutes and to conduct a process analysis before eliminating it.”
3. Turnover time remains too long due to OR setup and stocking. “Turnover time has been impacted by a triple threat of challenges, including the staffi ng shortage,
12 December 2022 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS •
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supply chain challenges and process changes during the pandemic. Medline has seen an increase in cus- tomers coming to our clinical resource teams about OR turnover challenges they’re experiencing within their organization. Some procedures require a longer turnover time and we’re working with customers on how they can get their OR teams more effi cient.”
4. Ineffective, poor or no relationship with Supply Chain to help with product evaluations, contracting, sup- plier relations, etc. “This is an area of opportunity we continue to see. Effective communication between supply chain and clinical partners and understanding each other’s needs is essential for achieving success and driving cultural changes that empower teams. We are seeing more value analysis teams pulling in a clinical team member help keep patient care at the forefront of their decision-making process.”
5. Inability to track product consumption/usage patterns for billing, budgeting, economic service line evalua- tion, etc. “ORs generate a lot of revenue for hospitals, but there’s a greater need for teams to understand total procedural costs. Utilizing a preference card system that’s integrated with all electronic systems can help teams understand true costs and provide recommendations for mitigating them.”
Tom Redding, Senior Managing Director, Healthcare Services, St. Onge Co.
1. Inability to track product consumption/usage pat- terns for billing, budgeting, economic service line evaluation, etc. “Tracking demand is a foundational and fundamental requirement for a well-functioning supply chain. Without it, all we have is guesswork based on experience and judgment. Too often, there is a signifi cant amount of revenue leakage as a result of not tracking product usage to each procedure. It can also lead to potential challenges with recall management if the product is not properly tracked to the procedure. Additionally, product standardization is minimized if there isn’t a clear understanding of product use and demand patterns.”
2. Bad/erroneous data and/or lack of product data stan- dards cause/contribute to decision-making problems. “With the continued introduction of new products into the market, the supply chain and clinical teams will need to have ‘good’ product and market data to prop- erly evaluate the potential benefi t for their organization and patient population. As more specialized products are introduced, supply chain and clinical teams will need to further evaluate if the product specialization enhances patient care or creates the potential risk of using the product incorrectly and/or inappropriately.”
3. Ineffective, poor or no relationship with Supply Chain to help with product evaluations, contracting, sup- plier relations, etc. “Supply chain continues to take on a broader role with product evaluations, contract- ing and supplier relations through their integration of clinical team members into the decision-making progress. It is imperative to have a cross-functional team that supports all of the stakeholders to ensure decisions made are in the best interest of delivering patient care and fi nancially for the organization.”
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