• Encourages standardization and reduces variation across the system
• Is revolutionary or innovative compared to today and provides growth
• Supports funding for the future and removes extraneous costs
Regarding physician lead performance improvement ( PLPI ), Beiermeister said engagement of physicians is key , as is leveraging physician-to-physician communication . He said that meaningful , accurate data should always drive your process , and that product adoption may be just the beginning . He advised transparency in contractual obligations , and that clinical use criteria should continue to help define your success .
• In the presentation , “ Transparency and Trust : Enhancing the Process Between Supplier and Provider , Laura Polson , BSN , RN-BC , CVAHP , system director of clinical quality value analysis for Baptist Health , addressed the reasons behind secrecy in the healthcare setting , noting that , “ Over time , competition and staffing turnover has led us to behave in certain ways … to look at the short-term benefit and lose sight of any long-term partnerships within our grasp . Outsourcing to other countries allowed manufacturers to offer duplicated products by multiple vendors , or substitute for lower quality alternatives .” She added that commoditization led to price wars and primary sourcing requirements for best price , and market-share requirements drove innovative new vendors out of the market through access restrictions . Information-blocking prevented future planning and preparation , and benchmarking companies drove rebates and saving alternatives , she added . Polson also discussed the critical needs of providers and pleaded with suppliers to remember the best practices and relationship builders that forge long-term partnerships . She emphasized that value analysis validation must be unique , and that institutions must identify ways to be creative and refuse to return to old practices . They must develop training technologies to enable more services with fewer “ touch ” points , and always set the highest standards and provide community support . Polson encouraged organizations to be authentic ; don ’ t gain the business and then change the rules or provide misleading information that is just waiting to be discovered . She advised facilities to foster a culture of data access , providing post-market comparison testing and providing proof beyond 510K approvals . She advised emphasizing patient-centric care , preventing harm , and providing best-in-class performance .
• In the presentation , “ Going for Gold - Engaging Clinical Expertise in Value Analysis and the Business World ,” Alexandre Warman , MBA , administrator of perioperative business services for Lehigh Valley Health Network , reviewed the challenge of organizations pursuing perpetual cost savings , as well as how to turn cost saving ideas into action while maintaining clinical engagement . He said the challenge of perpetual cost savings is moving past obvious savings , and that once low-risk , high-yield cost cuts are achieved , there is the need for different avenues for saving . As an example , Warman pointed to Lehigh Valley Health Network ’ s cost reduction goal of reducing non-labor costs to improve hospital margins and avoid disruptive labor cuts , as well as increase consistency across facility sites . He explained how the network implemented “ quick wins ” savings strategies and achieved large cost savings initially , while budget margins showed need for improvement . The answer was determining more complex and long-term savings initiatives , he said . Warman added that turning cost-saving ideas into action required the following elements :
• WHY : End of year margins resulted in a need for increased savings generation
• WHO : Included all frontline staff who have high visibility into everyday opportunities for cost improvement
• WHAT : Each staff member allowed to pitch a cost saving initiative during a three-hour meeting per campus
• HOW : Value analysis reviewed the 78 ideas generated to determine if they would be viable and impactful initiatives
• RESULT : Winning initiatives implemented and recognized by executive team
Warman also shared with session attendees an enhanced enterprise-wide governance structure .
• In the presentation , “ Creating Value Through Strong Partnerships in a Clinically Integrated Supply Chain ,” Erin Arnold , MSN , RN , CNOR , a clinical consultant , described ways to partner with key stakeholders in driving standardization initiatives , including physician preference Items , as well as how to engage and communicate with stakeholders . She discussed techniques to improve initiative implementation to increase stakeholder buy-in , and also shared key insights into techniques and processes
Click To View Enhanced Enterprisewide Governance Structure
to prepare clinicians for change . She explained that the value analysis journey includes creating policies and procedures , which are the foundation for cost , quality , and patient outcomes . This is followed by putting into place enterprise contracting and value analysis processes . End users place requests for items to be added to contracts , and facility-level value analysis teams work to implement initiatives . Then , the Enterprise Clinical Value Analysis Team is launched , and the Executive Steering Committee is formed . Arnold also emphasized the importance of standardization :
• Variation in supplies across organization : Clinical staff need to understand nuances of each item and each surgeon ; they must also see that variation in care delivery drives increase in waste
• Variation in cost per case
• Consistency drives competence which improves patient care outcomes and employee satisfaction
• Inventory control and efficiency ; reduction in SKUs means fewer products to manage
• Redundancy in market , clinical equivalency of lower cost items – does the literature support higher cost items ?
• Most times the literature does not exist , or the evidence is inconclusive ; not enough studies and evidence to show differentiation in product and patient care outcomes
• Is there consistency among practitioners to support practice-based evidence ? Consolidate multi-source , dual source , and leverage sole-source contracts
• Consider implications of sole sourcing
• In the presentation , “ A Page from the Clinically Integrated Supply Chain Playbook : How Maine Health Successfully Transformed the Acute Care Value Analysis Methodology to Meet the Needs of Non-Acute Care Settings ,” Jean Fecteau , MS , RN-BC , manager of strategic capital sourcing for MaineHealth , and Suzanne Smith , BSN , RN , senior solution advisor of value analysis