Anne Snowdon, PhD, collaborated with HIMSS Analytics in March to launch Health-Supply Information Maturity Management, an initiative devoted to the development and launch of tools to support supply chain transformation in global health systems.
Dr. Snowdon is the scientific director and CEO of the Supply Chain Advancement Network.
Ahead of HIMSS AsiaPac 18, Nov. 5-8 in Brisbane, Australia, Dr. Snowdon told Healthcare IT News about the importance of integrating healthcare supply chains with clinical management.
Here are five takeaways:
1. Many health systems have observed a disconnect between IT systems across organizations, which creates a lack of data throughout the patient's journey of care.
2. The clinically integrated supply chain is designed to help providers automatically track every patient's care process and products used in care.
3. When supply chain staff are fully integrated into clinical program teams and the system is scaled across health systems, "it creates a robust flow of data in near 'real time' to inform system leadership decisions on delivery of programs and care processes that offer the best outcomes for the population the health system is mandated to serve," Dr. Snowdon said.
4. Integrated supply chains can deliver increases in safety, quality and value in part by reducing variations in care. This infrastructure can also reduce waste and administrative burden.
5. Cincinnati-based Mercy Health reported a 70 percent reduction in serious errors after integrating its supply chain.
"The traceability of every care process, procedure and product delivered by clinician teams enables leaders to track care being delivered and link it to outcomes to inform clinician teams using objective data what practices are achieving the best results for patients," Dr. Snowdon said.