Health technology refers to the instruments, equipment, drugs and procedures used in health care delivery, as well as the organizations supporting it. Health technology assessment, which is the process of conducting investigations to establish the criteria for efficacious, effective and efficient patient care, is becoming increasingly important in an era of diminishing resources. This survey of 39 community hospitals in southwestern Ontario found that improved purchasing strategies can result in substantial cost savings which can in turn be used to improve patient care. The study shows that optimizing the price of basic hospital commodities could save an average community hospital as much as $625,000 per year.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
CollotonJ. CEO looks to vendors for savings. Hospitals1990; 64(1): 60–61.
BattistaRE. Innovation and diffusion of health-related technologies: A conceptual framework. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care1989; 5: 227–243.
4.
JohansenKSRocaveanuNT. Big ticket health technology: Is rational utilization possible?Medical Progress Through Technology1991; 17: 85–91.
5.
InmanKJSibbaldWJ. Technology assessment in critical care. Current Opinion in Critical Care1995; 1: 381–386.
6.
DeberRWiktorowiczMLeattPChampagneF. Technology acquisition in Canadian hospitals: How is it done, and where is the information coming from?Healthcare Management Forum1994; 7(4): 18–27.
7.
DeberRWiktorowiczMLeattPChampagneF. Technology acquisition in Canadian hospitals: How are we doing?Healthcare Management Forum1995; 8(2): 23–28.
8.
Purchasing and Materials Management Services Ltd.Purchasing: The untapped profit factor, how to reduce costs and improve margins. England.
9.
It's time for just-in-time.Purchasing Management Digest. October 1987; 24–26.
EmmelhainzMA. Electronic Data Interchange: A Total Management Guide. New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1990.
12.
RaeJ. Add power to purchasing through computers: A non technical guide to the application of computers in the purchasing department. Canadian Purchasing Journal1994; 2(1): 17–25.
13.
Johnson-BaileyMP. Opportunities abound for ORs looking to cut costs. ORPN1994; 18(11): S9–S10.
14.
RichardsonSPCooperWColeC. The power of group purchasing. Dimensions in Health Services1991; 68(7): 17–18.
15.
ScottL. Buying groups seek compliance. Modern Healthcare1994; 24(39): 52–54, 56–62.
16.
WagnerM. Group purchasing survey, purchase groups buy goods worth over $15 billion. Modern Healthcare1992: 22(39): 3943.
17.
WetrichJG. Group purchasing: An overview. American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy1987; 44(7): 1581–92.
18.
Victoria Critical Care Management and Evaluative Research Group. Proceedings of the Southwestern Ontario Critical Care Research (SOCCR) Network. 1st annual research planning workshop, 27 April 1994, London, Ontario, Huron College Conference Centre.
19.
HorneyB. CEOs can make it easier to drive a hard bargain. Hospitals1989; 63(2): 56.
20.
HayDEmmonsSWattsD. Benchmarking: Breakthrough results through structured analysis. Leadership1995; 4(5): 16–21.
