Health center-supplier team approach to solving i.v. equipment problems

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Quality Improvement
• Supply Chain Collaboration

Background:

• A healthcare center experienced staff dissatisfaction due to a new supplier's product quality issues and incomplete inventory.
• Recurrent functional problems with intravenous (i.v.) solutions and equipment impacted healthcare services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a collaborative problem-solving approach between a healthcare center and its supplier.
• To detail the implementation of a quality action team using total quality management (TQM) to resolve product concerns.

Main Methods:

• Formation of a joint quality action team with representatives from both the healthcare center and the supplier.
• Application of a total quality management process to address eight specific product concerns.
• Systematic problem definition, data collection, root cause analysis, action plan development, implementation, and impact monitoring.

Main Results:

• Successful resolution of eight product concerns through collaborative efforts.
• Implementation of action plans led to significant cost savings for the healthcare center.
• Increased staff satisfaction with the supplier's products and services.

Conclusions:

• A team approach, specifically a quality action team utilizing TQM, effectively improves product quality and supplier-client relationships.
• Collaboration between healthcare providers and suppliers can lead to mutual benefits, including cost reduction and enhanced satisfaction.