Dive Brief:
- Global Health Exchange announced the launch of a new cloud-based tool aimed at bridging the gap between supply chain management and data needed for EHR clinical documentation.
- The tool is available to providers with Epic EHRs, with additional system integrations planned for the future.
- Among Clinical ConneXion’s capabilities include a catalog sourced from GHX’s content repository in an EHR, automated file processing end-to-end, one-time supply charge reconciliation and supply documentation.
Dive Insight:
Softer patient admissions, higher deductibles and cuts in reimbursement, as well as rising medical costs, are all combining to shrink hospitals’ operating margins. Many larger health systems are looking at targeting supply chain as a way to control costs.
One way they can do this is with analytics that help supply chain managers identify on a continuous basis where savings will come from, according to Christopher Kerns, executive director of research at Advisory Board Company, recently told Healthcare Dive for a series on hospital supply chains. Supply chain managers are likely to get more buy-in from doctors if they have the data to show that limiting clinical variation reduces costs.
Some hospitals are also cutting ties with distributors and working directly with manufacturers, adopting a self-distribution model for their supply chain. Such a move can be costly at the start, but provide big savings over time.
According to GHX, one hospital that is using the tool has reduced manual entry of commonly used supplies into EHRs from 50% to .05% and improved charge capture from 40% to 95%.