Surgeon onboarding strategies help optimize supply chain decisions

Editor's Note

Effective onboarding practices for new surgeons can set the tone for long term success in many ways, including with supply chain decisions. Surgeons often bring new preferences for products. Taking a proactive approach to prepare a surgeon as a partner in organizational supply chain decisions can help align surgeon preference with existing contracts, can support seamless integration of new products into the OR while managing cost variability, and help support strong vendor relations, according to an October 7 article from ECRI.

The article recommended a proactive approach to surgeon onboarding within supply chain decisions to ensure a smooth transition. One prime example is with orthopedic implants, which represent high costs. Without a coordinated approach between supply chain, surgical leadership and the surgeon, delays or disruptions can result, which can frustrate teams and compromise efficiency.

There are several strategies to strengthen surgeon onboarding, per the article. Starting with creating a formalized onboarding playbook with clear expectations for collaborative actives involving supply chain, such as implant evaluation procedures, vendor credentialing, and communication workflows.

Further recommended onboarding practices include coordinated communication opportunities such as physician-led value analysis committees that can support shared decision machining. Data can guide these conversations internally with technology such as orthopedic analytics platforms that offer visibility into surgical trends, spending patterns, and implant utilization. These data can also be used externally to advance vendor engagement processes that support cost control while including surgeon preferences in the conversation.