Clinical Excellence
In a society that is as wealthy and as medically advanced as the United States is today, it is difficult to imagine that there exist shortages of anything, including medical supplies. It would seem that a priority would be given to ensure that all necessary medical supplies would be available at all facilities throughout the country. It would be most expected that the private, for profit, healthcare facilities that could afford to pay for all of the medical supplies that it needed would be fully stocked at all times. Shockingly, this is not the case.
The United States is a capitalistic society. Being that this is the case, one would think that there would be a supply of infection control supplies to meet the demand, no matter how high that demand may be. If the demand increases, simply increase production. The manufacturing company would simply be gaining more profit as it is a profit per piece industry. In this study, there was no explanation as to why the demand has not been met.
If the for profit facilities are unable to have their needs met, the facilities that are not able to pay as high a profit margin are even worse off. If the manufacturers were producing enough units to meet the demand, they would fill the orders for the full-price, or for-profit facilities first, and then they would fill the lower profit orders second, as there is still a profit in these orders, just a smaller one. With something as critical as medical equipment, in a country where manufacturing is seen as a positive enterprise, this is not being done.
Purpose
The purpose of this research utilization project is to determine the cause of overuse and to recommend steps to mitigate the supply shortage of infection control supplies.
There are two different factors which must be addressed in this statement: overuse and shortage. Who is overusing the supplies? Where and why is this overuse occurring? Where are the shortages? Why are those needs not being met? Both of these questions can be answered by reviewing the business records of the medical supply companies. They can be investigated for what facilities they serviced, how many patients were serviced with their equipment, and what was they expected per patient per piece use of equipment. If it was too high, and there was waste, employee training as to the right use and procedures in the correct use of the equipment might need to be reviewed. If this is corrected, the overuse at these facilities would be reduced and the surplus would then be available for use at the other facilities where there were not enough supplies available for their needs to be met.
Quality Measures
Being the type of product that is being discussed is one in which a person’s life is in question, the necessity to the detail of the quality is of utmost importance. There can be no use of short-cuts, short changing on quality, or changes in the manufacturing process to help produce the product at a faster rate of speed. There are specific guidelines that have been established by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to protect consumers’ health that must be maintained at all costs. Time saving strategies cannot be used if quality is jeopardized. Anything that would change the product cannot occur without the product being retested and approved by the FDA before it is remarketed.
A Model for Change – Disruptive Change Theory
With the views of disruptive change theory, it is not so easy as to understand why there is a supply shortage of infection control supplies. According to this theory, although it in itself is ambiguous and in need of further study, it is not always possible to make the predictions of the supplies that will be in demand of the products. If the manufacturers produce too many, as many have a short shelf life, they will go unsold, thus lowering the profit margin. Because of this, the marketing of these products is not an exact science, as one cannot predict what illnesses are going to strike where at what times and specifically which infectious control supplies will be needed. Therefore, there cannot be an exact calculation of the necessary materials made for any one time (Yu & Hang, 2010).
Theoretical Models and Frameworks
Trying to best calculate trends in the market or develop infection control devices which can treat a broad spectrum of diseases would help ensure an adequate supply at locations nationwide based on integrating disruptive innovation and other research domains with the marketing of products (Yu & Hang, 2010). For example, a pharmacy does run out of seldom used, very specific medications. Seldom, however, is the widely prescribed amoxicillin not in stock. If there were more infection control supplies that had a broad range of uses such as Amoxicillin does, there would be fewer instances of a facility not having the needed supplies.
This would not work in all situations. Many infection control supplies are very specific and that cannot change. Hopefully with some of these suggestions, along with calling attention to the matter, the shortfalls will become less severe. Often, with public awareness, the outcries of the masses are what are needed to end these shortfalls. Another avenue that sometimes needs to be utilized is government intervention.
Six Sigma Methodologies
When assessing the manufacturing of infection control devices, considering their need, the influence that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) demands these products, and that the insurance companies and consumers will pay for them out of desperation, how is it that the product is not being sufficiently kept in stock? By instituting six sigma strategies in the production of the infection control supplies, the manufacturers may be able to increase production speed and profitability without sacrificing quality. As this occurs, the company will see even greater profits, not wanting to scale back production. In fact, there may be an incentive to take slightly less profit and sell the same product for a lower profit margin to a non-profit agency in need, especially if there are tax incentives (Aveta Business Institute, 2012).
Assess the Need for Change in Practice
If only one life is lost due to their not being the necessary infection control supplies, their needs to be a change in practice. Speaking in practical business terms, since this is a widespread problem, where the potential for the number of lives that could be lost is unknown at this time, this problem must be addressed. The sooner the changes are made, the more lives will be saved. Immediacy is eminent.
Locating the Best Evidence
There were no articles to be found that could provide evidence of the lack of infection control supplies in for-profit hospitals in the United States. There was staff there that would verify this statement is true, however, as a small victory, in a sense, that the problem does exist. There were a couple of articles indicating that clinics needed more supplies of all kinds, but none specifically seemed to study infection control supplies. In these clinics and other less desired avenues of care, there was an article that address that even though patients were aware of how germs were spread, they did not pay attention about their own care when being treated (Scicluna, 2012).
Critically Analyzing the Evidence
It is difficult to find evidence to analyze. As a literature search was conducted, the emphasis appeared to be on medication shortages, but almost no mention was made of supply shortages, and none was made about infection control supplies that could be found by this student. The support that was found was through the Joint Commission International (2011) and there marketing department. Their organization aims to increase the awareness of healthcare associated infections so that prevention programs can be used to target and treat these areas, reducing risk and exposure. There is coaching by these professionals available to staff at any institution to help improve patient safety by reducing risk of infection. There is no specific mention of infection control supplies in this marketing tool, but there probably is some aspect of materials incorporated in their program.
If, in speaking with people in the field, it is known that there are shortages of infection control supplies, why is there no literature on the topic? Has it not been covered by the media out of ignorance? Perhaps this small problem, relative to the mass amount of problems of society, just is not well known. If one is working on a floor in a hospital and there are not enough infectious control supplies to go around for that shift, there are not going to be verbal complaints made in areas where patients can overhear them. If people on the floor have airborne ailments that can be spread from one area to another, they are in the hospital under the presumption that they are safer in that environment than in any other one. Without the necessary amount of infection control devices, that would not be the case. If word were to get out that even one hospital were in short supply, news would travel, and a panic would begin to spread across the region and soon, the nation. People would demand accountability, explanations, and jeopardize their care by staying out of hospitals and other treatment facilities. Medical care as we know it would change overnight.
With this being the case, it is prudent that an immediate investigation into the shortfall of these necessary supplies occur, a rapid answer be found, adjustments be made, the problems addressed, and whatever changes must be made radically implemented. It is with some kind of intervention that up to this point that the nation has not suffered some type of catastrophe where are shortfall in the infection control supplies has been exposed, but it is not necessary to wait for that to happen. This issue can be addressed, resolved, and put behind without ever having had a great number of people suffer from the gross negligence that has occurred.
Synthesis
Feasibility, Benefits, and Risks
The feasibility of addressing this issue of a shortfall of supplies may not be easy. Here are countless of manufacturers both domestically and internationally that will need to be investigated and prioritized as to which items need to have their production increased. Just because it is challenging does not mean it does not need to occur. The changes that were made during production during World War II were dramatic and swift. This would be less dramatic, as the products would be the same. It is the need to figure out supply and demand that will need quick configuration.
The benefits will be both to the manufacturers and the consumers. Businesses will see a surge in profits. The better they are able to predict the supply and demand, the better those profits will be. As they improve their ability to understand the flow of the medical supply industry, they will be able to change, adapt, and become more able to produce what the market requires. The consumer will receive the greatest benefit in that the needed infection control supplies will be where they are needed, when they are needed, hopefully at all times. It would be beneficial to all hospitals and other healthcare facilities if they were as sure that the necessary infection control supplies, including medications, were going to be available to them as needed and without worry as Amoxicillin is available every day at every drug store and pharmacy throughout the country. Consumers never need to give it a thought. Hopefully, that comfort in thought will be had with infection control supplies as well in the near future.
References
Aveta Business Institute. (2012). What is six sigma: An overview of six sigma methodology.
Retrieved from: http://www.sixsigmaonline.org/six-sigma-training-certification-
information/articles/what-is-six-sigma-an-overview-of-six-sigma-methodology.html
Joint Commission International (2011). Infection prevention and control: Enhancing patient
safety. Retrieved from:
http://www.jointcommissioninternational.org/Infection-Prevention-and-Control-Advisory-Service/
Scicluna, E. A., (1996). Editorial – Knowledge versus practice. International Journal of Infection
Control. 3(1), 1-3.
Yu, D., & Hang, C. C. (2010). A reflective review of disruptive innovation theory. International
Journal Of Management Reviews. 12(4), 435-452.
doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2370.2009.00272.x
