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The downstream impact of a technology can provide a beneficial impact on the
full continuum of care. That's also really important to consider.
How has value-analysis changed in recent years?
It's not always the typical outcomes of care that matter most. Reductions in
mortality and infection rates are of course important, but you also have to meas-
ure the impact products have on measures of care that matter to patients. Joint
replacement patients want to know how fast they can return to work. There's an
indirect cost there that needs to be included in product assessments.
What cost-justifying resources aren't used nearly enough?
I'm focusing very heavily on tapping into the expertise of select suppliers who
engage and integrate with our health system because they bring a level of expe-
rience, intelligence and capability that we're not capitalizing on. I see great
potential in cultivating relationships with suppliers that are truly interested in
advancing safe, quality care around their products. Partnerships should contin-
ue to evolve with suppliers who have high clinical sensitivity.
OSM
Mr. Lubotsky (thomas.lubotsky@advocatehealth.com) is the vice president of
supply chain and clinical resource management at Advocate Health Care in Akron, Ohio.