Improved Patient Care and Significant Cost Reductions with Integrated Supply Chain

Professionals in the supply chain work diligently to improve the prices of products and also to find innovative means for identifying and reducing waste from the sup ply chain, through product standardization and automation in inventory management. The supply chain is a proven target to reduce waste and save money in the world of reduction in margins and reimbursements. It is crucial to derive optimal results of the supply chain in hospitals to combine logistics and purchase with clinical elements. Moreover, a facility-wide culture changes are needed to accomplish clinically integrated supply chains before improvements and value drivers are optimized. All relevant hospital parties are integrated into a clinically integrated supply chain. Finance and clinical achievements are taken into account to provide high-quality products and services that significantly increase the patient outcomes of the organization.

The clinically integrated supply chain is intended to help providers track the care process and the products used for each patient automatically. If supply chain staff are fully integrated into clinical program groups, and the system is scaled-up over health systems, a strong data flux can be created virtually in real time to inform system management decisions about the delivery of healthcare programs and processes that ensure the best outcomes for the population. Integrated supply chains can provide safety, quality, and value advancements in part by significantly reducing variations in care. It can also cut waste and administrative burdens. Staff dissatisfaction can increase turnover, which is now a growing medical challenge. The HIDA Acute Market Report states that the turnover rate could double for doctors in the next five years to 68.7 percent for healthcare professionals and 62.7 percent for nurses.

Clinicians must be provided with evidence-based data to enhance engagement and compliance. The integration and analysis of supply chain and clinical data can result in more informed decision-making for product standardization, and reduce variation in supply. Clinicians can also help monitor their compliance with their own contract compliance and make adaptations that can further reduce costs by continuing the review of performance information.

A strategic decision to develop a clinically integrated supply chain builds on organizational and clinical strength. The end result is an increased clinical satisfaction and better service for patients, alongside significant cost savings for the providers.