In 2004, I took a chance on innovation. I stepped away from my career as a hospital VP at Tufts Medical Center and Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary and joined a healthcare technology start-up company called WaveMark, Inc., which is now a Cardinal Health company. I started as their fourth employee, and we got to work quickly. Not only because I believed in the features and benefits automated technology but, more deeply, because I believed in possibilities of robust supply chain data and the peace of mind it can provide for hospitals.
When I experienced an application of the technology in a hospital for the first time, I knew we were on the right path. A cath lab administrator looked at me after seeing the first read of the fully automated inventory cabinet and said, with wonder in his eyes, “It’s magic!” This is just one instance of many over the last decade in which new, automated technology has helped hospitals solve persistent supply chain problems. When over-worked inventory managers, and sometimes clinicians, see automated alerts for expiring and recalled items, you can physically see the anxiety lifting off of their shoulders, with the knowledge that the technology was helping them support patient safety. It’s personally, and professionally, satisfying.
There are so many wins (big and small!) that automated technology used for inventory tracking can bring to hospitals and health systems:
- Accurate data captured at the patient bedside informs accurate forecasting and supports patient safety.
- Visibility into product options and costs on a point-of-use station enable physicians to make more informed decisions. They have a detailed, electronic record of exactly what was used for each case, including lot, serial number and other specific product information.
- If there’s a recall, hospital staff can quickly identify affected items that are still on the shelves.
- With real-time data on high-cost device usage, administrators can track contract compliance before the end of a business day, rather than the end of the quarter when it could be too late.
- When hospitals integrate supply chain data with other information, such as electronic health records, comprehensive data contributes to a more complete picture of treatment and patient outcomes, during a time when there’s great scrutiny over the total cost of care.
Reflecting on my own journey and the stories of hospital leaders whom I’ve worked with, I’m amazed by the tremendous breakthroughs we’ve already seen in healthcare automation and technology. And, truly, we’re only beginning to uncover what’s possible. As more and more hospitals realize the benefits of automation and put new solutions into place, it’s my hope that we’ll make today’s problems obsolete and to move the industry forward, together.
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