The Healthcare Hub
The Top Five Ways the Healthcare Supply Chain is Improving Patient Care Today (Pt. 2)
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Scott Kelley, Vice President of North American Sales and Marketing
As we come to the end of another National Healthcare Supply Chain Week, I want to share two more ways that GHX customers are using their supply chains to significantly improve patient outcomes. On Wednesday, I delved into the use of outcomes data, the creation of clinical/supply chain teams and the expansion of the supply chain outside the four walls of the hospital. Today’s themes touch on and leverage some of the most highly anticipated and buzzed-about technologies.
Seeing the Future: Experimenting with Predictive Analytics
A growing number of healthcare organizations are leveraging their supply chain data not only to improve their decision making, but also to incorporate a level of prediction to the supply chain. The idea is to rarely if ever, falter and to be fluid and timely in delivering products to clinicians. To accomplish this, supply chain teams are leveraging data to better anticipate what will be needed and to ensure seamless contingency plans if a product is discontinued or unavailable. Most importantly this predictive component frees up more time for doctors and nurses to spend on patient care.
One of our customers shared this from their organization. A nurse compared her supply chain to running water, “I don’t care how the product gets here, I just want it when I need it. It’s like water from the tap – I don’t’ care where it comes from, as long as it’s there when I turn it on.”
There’s No One Like You: Adapting to Personalized Medicine
While still in the early stages, a few healthcare organizations are adapting their supply chains around the concept of “personalized medicine.” Considering new manufacturing and buying processes to take advantage of technologies like state-of-the-art imaging and diagnostic equipment and 3D printers, these providers are on the forefront of this emerging trend. For instance, one Northeastern hospital has experimented with adapting its supply chain to support the use of 3D printing for jaw reconstruction – one of the first projects of its kind in the industry.
It’s important to note that innovative, game-changing supply chain projects like these are happening every day in both healthcare provider and manufacturer supply chains. Be sure to check into the Healthcare Hub regularly to learn about these innovative improvements – as every week is National Healthcare Supply Chain Week here at GHX!