Hospitals' strategies for orchestrating selection of physician preference items

This article analyzes hospitals' strategies to shape physicians' behavior and counter suppliers' power in purchasing physician preference items. Two models of standardization are limitations on the range of manufacturers or products (the "formulary" model) and price ceilings for particular item categories (the "payment-cap" model), both requiring processes to define product equivalencies often with inadequate product comparison data. The formulary model is more difficult to implement because of physicians' resistance to top-down dictates. The payment-cap model is more feasible because it preserves physicians' choice while also restraining manufacturers' power. Hospitals may influence physicians' involvement through a process of orchestration that includes committing to improve clinical facilities, scheduling, and training and fostering a culture of mutual trust and respect.

[Improvement of organization and economic mechanisms for comprehensive provision of equipment to treatment-and-prophylaxis institutions]

In many domestic treatment-and-prophylaxis institutions, the standard service life of the majority of medical equipment already expired. Further use of this equipment can become hazardous to both patients and medical personnel. Medical techniques implemented in this outdated equipment can also be rather ineffective for diagnosis and treatment planning. The method described in this work provides continuous monitoring of the efficacy of risk management in medical service planning and quality management according to the medical equipment status. Some probabilistic parameters, such as the coefficient of medical equipment efficacy during its service life and the medical technique efficacy level, are introduced.

Dollars and sense engaging physicians in supply-cost control

Five strategies for engaging physicians in supply-cost savings initiatives are to: Build a compelling case. Help physicians understand the cost profiles of the products they are using and their impact on cost of care. Give physicians a voice in supply-cost negotiations. Stick with the decisions you make in regard to vendors. Share the cost savings with physicians through investments in new equipment and technology.