Does increasing the efficiency of the supply chain equate to an improved patient experience?

The relationship between effective supply chain management and patient experience, on the surface, may not seem an obvious one. The functions of the supply chain division are very much a “behind the scenes” role in contrast to patient-facing physicians and nurses. The supply chain department mostly interact with suppliers and distributers. So why is the supply chain critical to patient experience?

The answer is that hospital’s patients and care givers rely on the availability and accessibility of the right equipment. This is why the decisions made by the supply chain department are integral to patient experience. Efficient supply chain strategies and operations also facilitate the work of physicians and nurses ensuring they can focus on what is important…their patients!

So what is patient experience?

Patient experience is not an easy concept to define and there are many facets to it. The American Nurses Association says that patient experience and patient satisfaction share a close connection to one another. Today, patient experience is one of the main metrics included on quality improvement programs and surveys.

One example of this is The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. The HCAHPS definition of patient experience adds further depth to the definition of patient experience. A score from using these metrics considers the “patient experience before, during, and after an episode of care, including environmental factors.”

Benefits of Supply Chain Management and its effect on patient experience

According to a recent survey reported by Becker’s Hospital Review, Supply Chain was identified as an essential part in ensuring high quality patient care. One of the major problems is that nurses and some physicians spend too much time on chain management and not enough caring for patients. Tasks such as locating supplies can take up to 20% of their time.

Healthcare providers also find that needed equipment or tools aren’t accessible for a procedure or a preferred product is expired. These situations negatively impact patient safety, process flow, and effectiveness and patient safety.

As decisions made in the supply chain department are far reaching and can impact multiple areas, the challenge may be selecting which areas to focus on. In an article published in the Sutureexpress they suggest the following effective supply chain management strategies:

• Ensuring a steady availability of supplies– “Are those surgical sutures and wound closure kits where they need to be?”
• Product Selection: It is important to consider that the most cost-saving choice is not always the one that optimally benefits patients.

One of the most major impacts to patient satisfaction is missing or misplaced equipment or supplies. Imagine, if you are patient observing the commotion where needed medical tools are lost, or not available. What sort of impression would this leave you… you will most likely choose another care provider in the future.

It sounds like a pretty basic requirement, but the importance of having the right equipment / product available should not be taken too lightly. As highlighted by Becker’s’ report, approximately one in four hospital employees have experienced a situation when an expired product was used on a patient. More than half have a recollection when a physician did not have a product required for a patient’s procedure. These situations could easily be remedied by implementing an effective supply chain management strategy. 

How product variety can facilitate patient experience

As a supply chain executive, there are ample considerations when selecting a product. The decision of what product to choose includes and not limited to “physician preference, cost, ease of use, standardization, and more”. To add to the almost endless list of variables for an executive to consider, is whether his / her choice suits the needs of not only the physician, but also the patient. No matter what product is considered suitable, it will evidently affect patient care, impacting patient satisfaction.

One of supply chain executives’ top priorities when selecting a product is ensuring it is both safe for patient and cost. However, all hospitals regardless of size or type need to bear in mind how using older products will affect patient satisfaction.

Affordability is also an impact factor. After all, not every hospital can afford the latest medical technology. Yet while being cost effective, older equipment tends to be slower and more uncomfortable for the patient. In this ultra- competitive healthcare industry, a negative patient experience is something to avoid at all costs.

For many health systems the problem is ensuring compact supply chain operations right across the system. Over recent years, care provision has become more value based. Under this value focused system effective supply chain operations have become even more important. The role of the Supply Chain executive is also changing. 

Value added Care and the role of the Supply Chain Leader in a health system

In Beckers Report a recent interview was conducted with Dr. Peter Mallow director of health economics, market access and reimbursement and Steve Thompson, director of strategic solutions. Mallow and Thompson both say that data plays a crucial role in making informed decisions about patient care and minimizing supply chain inefficiencies.

According to Thompson, “It’s not uncommon to see 12 hospitals operating independently — even though they’re in the same health system — and not taking advantage of aggregating and scaling their supply chain.”

Thompson adds that if supply chain leaders and their teams were able to “aggregate demand for devices and products into a single location and then deliver it to the measured point of care, as needed”, it will mean more cost-effective services and coordinated supply chain services throughout a health system which is only to the benefit of a hospital.

Thompson has been able to put this into practice in his work with several health systems. This ensures more efficient supply chain operations, cutting down on waste in a hospitals inventory.

The role of the strategic supply chain management definitely has a strong influence on patient experience. If supplies and equipment are not available at the right time in the right place, this not only harms patient experience, but prevents physicians and nurses doing what they are best at…taking care of the patient.

For the supply chain executive selecting a product and equipment that is efficient, safe and comfortable. This is not only beneficial for the patient, but also for the provider in the long term.

The importance of efficient and cost effectiveness is emphasized by Doctors Mallow and Thompson. This is especially salient in these current times where the patient and customer puts added value in care that exceeds their expectations.

By: Jonathan Gordon 

To learn more about the benefits of effect supply chain management, or to find the healthcare industry’s Most Valuable Players, you need to call Merraine Group. With two decades of experience and placements made at over 800 healthcare systems, Merraine’s talent scouts know what it takes to recruit an outstanding team that will keep on winning.