Recent survey reveals how healthcare providers believe supply chain disruptions are affecting clinical outcomes.
January 2024 – The Journal of Healthcare Contracting
Shortages within the healthcare industry have had deep impacts to the delivery of patient care, according to a recent survey of healthcare providers.
Through a survey titled “Medication, Supply, Equipment Shortages are Harming Patients,” completed in July 2023 by The Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI), and its affiliate, The Institute of Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), found that many providers believe ongoing national medication, medical supply, and medical equipment shortages have been harming patients.
Survey respondents included pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, procurement specialists, physicians, and nurses working in community, teaching, pediatric, cancer care, and other healthcare professions. Over 60% of respondents reported shortages of certain medications, supplies, and medical devices, according to ECRI. Many physicians stated that care quality has been widely and overwhelmingly impacted by the shortages.
“Many of the shortages are a direct result of supply chain disruptions. Supply chains have been disrupted due to raw material shortages, labor shortages, geopolitical issues, environmental factors, shipping and transport delays, and increased demand,” said Tim Browne, Vice President of Global Supply Chain Solutions at ECRI.
Patient care impact
A significant number of survey respondents reported that supply and equipment shortages have impacted their ability to provide the best patient care. More than half said that shortages have delayed treatments, and one-third reported that they were unable to provide patients with optimally recommended drugs or treatments. A quarter responded that they were aware of at least one error related to a drug or supply shortage, ECRI noted.
“Survey results showed that shortages of drugs, single-use supplies, and durable medical equipment have greatly impacted the following care areas: surgery/anesthesia, emergency care, pain management, cardiology, hematology/oncology, infectious disease, and obstetrics/gynecology,” said Browne.
According to survey results, 74% of respondents said that surgery and anesthetics, emergency care (64%), pain management (52%), cardiology (45%), infectious diseases (39%), and more primary and specialty care categories have been impacted by the ongoing shortages.
“Practitioners may be unable to provide patients with the recommended drug or treatment for their condition due to shortages, which can lead to delays in care or patients receiving a less effective drug,” said Browne. “Healthcare organizations have reported interrupted, modified, or delayed chemotherapy regimens, and needing to reschedule, postpone, or cancel surgical cases due to lack of supplies needed for procedures. Shortages have also contributed to medical and medication errors.”
Physicians stated that specific examples of the impact of shortages included an interruption or delays in chemotherapy, administration of more opioid analgesia due to lidocaine shortages, dissemination of incorrect medication dosage instructions to patients, cancellation and postponement of surgeries, and more.
Physicians and hospital systems often triage supplies in the face of shortages short-term, but it is necessary to have long-term and nationally coordinated solutions in place in order to solve the persistent shortages that physicians have been experiencing, according to ECRI.
“Preparation, standardization, communication, and monitoring are critical to safely managing drug, supply, and equipment shortages,” said Browne. “This involves updating systems, educating staff, and fielding questions on how to prescribe, prepare, administer unfamiliar alternative products and keeping meticulous count of inventory. Hospitals and healthcare organizations are spending a substantial amount of effort planning for and managing shortages.”