Why Cost is Not the Only Factor When Considering Clinical Purchases

March 2021

While it's easy to view clinical supplies like consumables and accessories as commodities, going for the lowest-cost provider is not always the best way to create value.

Historically, the process of sourcing medical devices to hospitals has always been somewhat informal. If a clinician wanted a product and believed it to be safe and effective, then the hospital approved it for purchase without fussing too much over cost. But today’s clinics, hospitals and allied health providers operate in a much more complex environment. They are often under pressure to optimise costs and inventory without compromising the level of care patients receive. Many of them now have dedicated procurement departments that follow a thorough process of value analysis that evaluates both price and performance to determine the best options.

That means while cost is still an important factor when considering clinical purchases, it’s far from the only one. Let’s look at the other factors should be considered when weighing a procurement decision for clinical supplies.

Function

While most PPEs and clinical supplies are manufactured to national or international standards, compliance with those standards is the bare minimum requirement. Thoroughly understanding how the products perform their function is critical. For example, PPEs like masks or visors may seem like straightforward purchases, but how will they perform in your environment? Will the PPE allow the wearer to clearly, hear and see and speak with patients? How will gloves or accessories impact their ability to treat patients?

It’s also easy to overlook a product’s disposal and sterilisation aspects. Will clinical reusables be durable enough to stand repeated disinfection cycles? Are they compatible with your waste disposal practices? Discussing these requirements with the end users and testing samples with them is always a good idea before committing to a large purchase.

Protection

One of the most essential requirements from clinical supplies is their safety. They must offer both the user and the patient an adequate barrier to the risks they will be exposed to. Even the type and quality of the fabric on masks or gowns can affect its protection rating. Your healthcare workers should examine the barrier fabric, which at a minimum, should perform four basic functions:

1. Be resistant to liquid penetration (to limit exposure to bodily fluids)
2. Be resistant to microbial penetration under various in-use conditions
3. Provide high bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE)
4. Be permeable to moisture-vapours

Design of these products has a big role to play in their safety. For example, PPE design should allow the user to intuitively and easily put on safety gear while minimising the risk of self-contamination. A lot of PPEs on the market offer suboptimal protection because the seals where the fabric is joined (like collars, sleeves, footwear) tend to trap contamination, or allow bodily fluids to permeate through them.

Glove thickness is another example. Many gloves don’t provide sufficient protection from needlestick injuries. Many clinicians resort to double gloving to get around the problem, but it’s not an ideal solution. Some newer types of latex and non-latex surgical gloves are more needle-resistant, while indication gloves can highlight outer glove failure if fluids are present.

The only way to make certain of a product’s safety is to test a sample in real-world conditions by the end user. Their feedback will be invaluable in evaluating the product and their supplier.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics and ease of use have a huge impact on the end-user. It can even affect the level of care they are able to provide to patients, especially when constrained by time or the environment they are in. For example, frontline health workers need to have PPE that provides a clear field of vision unhindered by fogging, sweat and discomfort. For staff working outdoors or in an operation theatre for long hours, comfort becomes a major factor in reducing fatigue, avoiding heat exhaustion, and maintaining efficiency.

Devices need to be intuitive to use and easy to read, while accessories need to be comfortable to use. Even something as simple as easy-to-open packaging for clinical wipes can make a big difference to staff who need to use them quickly and safely in a clinical setting.

How clinics and hospitals can maximise the value of clinical supplies

For any hospital, clinic or allied health provider evaluating their clinical supplies, it should be standard practice to review PPE and supply orders daily during rounds, just like they already do for lab orders. Clinicians and nursing staff need to be consulted regularly on supplies and product usage, and any feedback they have should be regularly communicated to the supplier, who can advise better solutions for their specific needs. 

Get in touch with us today to enquire about our curated range of clinical PPE, critical care, consumables, accessories and devices for healthcare providers. Request a sample to discover how Thermo Fisher’s clinical products can help your staff provide the highest level of care to your patients.