Health care supply chains have the potential to become true strategic assets for their organizations. With the right people, processes and technology, supply chain can play a pivotal role in clinical operations and ultimately, impact patient outcomes.
However, the complex nature of healthcare has often led to disjointed communication between clinicians and supply chain staff, minimizing the potential positive impact on patient outcomes.
The COVID-19 pandemic radically transformed this perception and increased an awareness of the strategic capabilities of health system supply chains. Now, supply chain optimization has become a moral imperative in healthcare because of its link to patient safety and outcomes, as well as employee confidence to deliver optimal patient care.
In order to develop a strategic supply chain, it must be clinically integrated. This improves visibility into the supply chain for clinicians and increases trust between supply chain and clinical leaders. Recently, Cardinal Health hosted a webinar (on-demand recording available here) with Becker’s Hospital Review on this topic, featuring Dr. Anne Snowdon, the Chief Scientific Research Officer for HIMSS and two other experts. Here are three key insights the experts shared to develop a more clinically integrated supply chain:
- Leverage partnerships to find the visibility you need to best advise your organization. One of the biggest areas where providers can find more visibility in their supply chain is through partnering with their medical supply manufacturers and distributors. Suppliers and distributors have access to robust data sets, which can be leveraged by providers to better inform their purchasing decisions that align with their facility’s operational, financial, and clinical goals. Many distributors and suppliers utilize customized dashboards and utilization models to help their customers accurately predict supply flow. These tools can assist a facility as they develop targeted demand plans and navigate supply disruptions.
- Integrate advanced technologies to increase visibility as products move through the supply chain. Distributors have recognized an opportunity to improve on the accuracy of Estimated Times of Arrival (ETAs) and provide more detailed tracking information. Innovative tracking devices can now provide health systems with this data and map exactly where a product is in transit. In addition, this technology leverages machine learning to capture path tracking information from customers which enables them to predict estimated arrivals times for future shipments.
- Automate supply to optimize your inventory management system. Supply automation can provide insights to make optimal care decisions based on that specific patient population, advancing organizations journeys toward a more clinically integrated and strategic supply chain. An ideal supply automation solution would capture global standard product data, connect product usage to the patient record, and capture product data to maintain product availability. This provides advanced analytics to support standardization of care.
According to Snowdon, organizations that develop clinically integrated supply chains see clear benefits. Improved inventory management, reduced labor costs, and reduced supply costs are all by-products of clinical integration, and they can directly contribute to a facilities bottom line. In addition, clinically integrated supply chains improve the provider experience, strengthen the relationships between supplier, distributor and provider, which both contribute to better patient experiences and outcomes.
For more supply chain insights and best practices, visit our supply chain center.