3 ways to develop a care-centric supply chain

Unforeseen circumstances in the healthcare system can place immediate stress on hospital supply chains and threaten the integrity of day-to-day operations. In a global pandemic, operations must shift their priorities to provide the most necessary supplies to clinicians and patients as quickly as possible.

However, it is important not to lose sight of the ultimate goal of helping deliver high-quality patient care during high-pressure environments. 

Additionally, the increasing complexity of the healthcare landscape has resulted in frontline staff and administrators looking towards new opportunities to better deliver quality patient care. This includes looking to supply chain leaders for their expertise in data driven solutions. The efficiency of operations as well as the quality and cost of products required to deliver proper care have become key factors that help frontline staff influence patient outcomes. 

Now more than ever, superior supply chain management supports improved quality of care1, specifically through the commitment to operating a care-centric supply chain. Consider these three opportunities to curb waste and deliver value that resonate with frontline staff and patients at the point-of-use.

  1. As cost and value become increasingly important factors in the healthcare equation, collaboration between physicians, nurses, clinical staff and the supply chain can beneficially affect costs and outcomes. It is helpful for different sites of care to communicate and support the delivery of care across an expanding continuum, including passage through the supply chain. 
  2. As hospitals continue to focus on delivering the best patient care while facing resource constraints, the supply chain must become even more efficient to relieve clinical staff from supply related burdens. In a supply chain survey, we asked OR surgeons and nurses to name the most stressful part of their job. The number one reply (26%) was too much paperwork, followed by not having enough time for patients (23%) 1. A care-centric approach to supply chain management seeks to mitigate this time and divert it to direct patient care. When done right, a patient-centered supply chain helps providers spend less time on inventory and more time with patients.
  3. Supply chain capabilities, like automated systems, enable a patient-centered supply chain. One in four say automated systems free up time to focus on patients and support better patient outcomes1

 

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About Cardinal Health Hospital Supply Chain Survey
This study was fielded Nov. 2 - Nov. 15, 2017, using an online survey methodology. The samples were drawn from SERMO’s Online Respondent Panel of Health Care Providers, which includes over 600,000 medical professionals in the United States. The study included 305 respondents total from health care organizations varying in size, specialty and practice area. Respondents included frontline clinicians (n=128), operating room supply chain decision-makers (n=100), and hospital/supply chain administrators (n=77). All survey data is on file at Cardinal Health

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