This is take-two of my column for this edition. Who knew when it was initially drafted that our 2020 Innovation Summit would have to be canceled? It’s too early to know if any global health or governmental entity could have predicted at the outset that the coronavirus (COVID-19) would reach pandemic status just 2½ months after it was initially reported by China to the World Health Organization on Dec. 31, 2019.
There is high anxiety across the U.S. and around the world surrounding COVID-19. Fear can cause rumors and misinformation to spread. With information and updates changing by the moment, none of us yet knows how long the pandemic status will reign or the duration of today’s uncertainty.
HealthTrust continues to provide its members with updates through ongoing email communications and conference calls. To further assist members with cutting through the noise and mounds of available information, internal subject matter experts (SMEs) in Clinical Services, Pharmacy Services and Supply Chain have assembled a number of valuable resources. Visit them often, as updates are made as new information is available.
My team and I hosted a one-hour COVID-19 clinical update on March 17. Internal SME presenters included Karen Bush, MSN, FNP, BC, and Chris French, PharmD, MBA. They were joined by HealthTrust Physician Advisor & Infectious Disease Specialist at Duke University Hospital S. Shaefer Spires, M.D., who offered real-world examples of how facilities are applying CDC guidelines to their treatment plans.
Clinical Evidence Summaries
HealthTrust’s Clinical Services team is excited to share that it has expanded the Education site to now include Clinical Evidence Summaries (CES). To make informed decisions around cost, quality and outcomes, supply chain managers and clinicians must arm themselves with the knowledge to understand the safety, efficacy and efficiency of the medical devices and clinically sensitive products they use. Developed with input from HealthTrust Physician Advisors, CES documents are published in an easy-to-read format, which includes an overview of the evidence and a bulleted summary. CES documents are designed to help members transform internal discussions to clinically integrated purchasing decisions. All members can access CES documents with a simple one-time registration at the HealthTrust Education & Clinical Resources site.
Some physician preference product categories have additional resources to benefit members in making clinically integrated purchasing decisions. If available, a New Technology review or a comparative product matrix can be located within a specific contract package in CatScan. The Clinical Resources section of the Education site is also home to more than 50 COVID-19 resources that address areas such as Clinical Practice, Disinfection, PPE Conservation and Decontamination, Respiratory Care, Lab & Diagnostic Testing, Optimizing Capacity and Caring for Staff. Contact the Clinical Services Research team or your HealthTrust Account Director for assistance in accessing these documents.
We are grateful for the clinicians and staff in our members’ facilities who are making incredible sacrifices in the fight against COVID-19, and we want to recognize their efforts. If you know of a warrior clinician or team on the front lines with a story to share, tell us about it at surveygizmo.com/s3/5542956/HealthTrust-Clinical-Warrior-Submissions
John Young, M.D., MBA, CPE, FACHE
Chief Medical Officer, HealthTrust
Executive Publisher & Editor-at-large,
The Source magazine
