healthcare value analysis
By Karen Tucker , MSN , RN , NEA-BC
Value Analysis Partnership and the Approach With Surgical Services Disruption
By Gloria Graham DNP , RN , CVAHP
By Heather Waters , MSN , RN
The
Association of Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals
( AHVAP ) recognizes value analysis as the process that evaluates products to improve patient outcomes through an evidencebased approach while also assessing safety , efficiency and the financial impact .
Healthcare is recognized for patient care and the outcomes provided by professionals to ensure safe and positive outcomes . To support and maintain positive outcomes for patients and staff , the right supplies and equipment must be available at the right time for the right patient . This area of supply and equipment known as supply chain management / value analysis , is not top-of-mind to caregivers as a potential threat to patient care or daily operations . The lack of equipment or supplies has an impact on operations by delaying care , patient safety , patient outcomes , and ultimately can create waste and harm in the system ( Kritchanchai , et al ., 2019 ). Mitigating the risk of patient-care disruption is achieved through collaboration with supply chain and value analysis . The Association of Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals ( AHVAP ) recognizes value analysis as the process that evaluates products to improve patient outcomes through an evidence-based approach while also assessing safety , efficiency and the financial impact .
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Collaboration Through the Pandemic
Within the last year , healthcare systems and staff recognized how critical the need for equipment and supplies are . Impact of the pandemic and the supply strain highlighted the need to partner with frontline staff , supply chain and value analysis ( VA ). A basic understanding of this work and collaboration is key to connect the importance to patients and staff . Access and availability to appropriate supplies and equipment for patient care improves workflow and work satisfaction for staff and better outcomes for the patient . Supply chain ’ s focus in healthcare is to provide appropriate equipment or supply to the patient or staff without causing disruption , or harm to the patient ( Emmett , 2019 ). The need for supplies can be something as simple as gloves and gowns or a critical piece of medical equipment to sustain life for a patient . All supplies within a healthcare system require the right key stakeholders to ensure the process is efficient and the correct supplies are in place from a practice and safety perspective .
Interdisciplinary Approach with Disruption in Supply
A disruption in the supply or equipment process can have negative outcomes . Frontline staff expectations are to have access to supplies and equipment when needed , yet most lack understanding or appreciation of value analysis / supply chain processes . During the COVID-19 pandemic , healthcare systems were faced with a pace of high demand for supplies and equipment coupled with production issues . As a result , hospital leaders and frontline staff quickly realized the importance of supply chain and value analysis impacts and disruptions to staff and patients based on this critical service .
Through the support of VA professionals , staff was able to quickly assess and evaluate the needs , assess new products as alternates in conjunction with being mindful of the financial impact . Organizations without a strong VA structure and coordinated team likely experienced even more challenges and struggles to work through as they established contingency plans and set staff at ease with the plans .
Operational Impact
Throughout the last year , the disruption of supplies and equipment was felt by frontline personnel . All patient-care areas were monitored and assessed on an ongoing basis for impact . Some areas of focus during this time were personal protective equipment ( PPE ) allocations , decrease in volume of specialty supplies , and basic inventory of items causing modification of standard work .
VA staff collaborated with surgical services with PPE allocations due to low inventory during the COVID-19 pandemic for the following items :
●Gowns : Determining the correct level gown and style for wear
●Gloves : Finding alternative manufacturers for the different surgeon needs
●Shoe Covers : Finding the right floor grip / nonslip , universal size and fabric for wear
●Bouffant / skull caps : Finding the correct thickness and size to meet a universal acceptance
As manufacturers attempted to maintain inventory for high-use products , it came with a price to other lower-volume products such as pediatric specialty items . This disruption ultimately led to discontinued items , where the VA staff worked to find alternative items that were presented to the surgical teams . This process was multidisciplinary with VA staff and key stakeholders of the surgical services teams reviewing the product , cost , and outcomes of the alternate product . At times due to patient or special design needs , supplies and alternatives were not available , which created the need for a practice
www . healthcarehygienemagazine . com • august 2021
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