Supply Chain in the Medical Industry
The 'customer' referred to in this case study is the professor with the stomach flu. Dr. Martin and the staff in his office are the 'company' or organization that is offering the service to the professor. The doctor's office provides the service needed. Quality of service has been studied in the area of business management for years because the market is more competitive and marketing management has transferred its focus from internal performance such as production to external interests such as satisfaction and customers' perception of service quality (Gronroos, 1984) The meanings of "Quality" change based on need. This need in turn is based on product performance or product perception. Maintaining service quality is very challenging as quality is defined from the perception of the customer. In a service situation, the customer is in direct contact with the end product. (Foster, 2003)
Until that experience, it appears from the case study (the professor was on a first name basis with the nurse in Dr. Martin's office) that the professor had a cordial and satisfying experience with the staff in the office. The supply chain of the care provided in this case study of the health care delivery system spans from the professor who is the customer, the nurse who is the intermediary between the main service provider (Dr. Martin) and the professor, Dr. Martin (the primary care doctor), the HealthCheck Clinic and the Emergency room. The employees in the Employment Benefits office act as quality checks and monitoring mediums. They are able to monitor the service provided and offer checks and balances to the level of service that is needed.
The service provided by Dr. Martin in this supply chain is seriously flawed. In spite of the professor being in severe pain and discomfort, the doctor did not get back to him. It is understandable that doctors tend to fully book their appointments for the day as every patient in results in a 'sale' for the doctor. However, it may appear that there is a poor level of communication between the doctor and the patents that he sees. The nurse, Betty, acting as the ombudsman between the doctor and patient also has display a certain preference for patients not going to the HealthCheck Clinic. Nowhere in the case study is it explained however, as to why the nurse feels this way or if the doctor fears that he may lose patients (customers) to the clinic. The most startling part of the entire scenario however, is that the doctor is also an important part of the clinic system that is operated. The article also clearly states that the clinic is much cheaper than the emergency room and the benefits office prefers that the clinic be used as a first option before the emergency room.
The surprising, or rather the disturbing, part about the service provided in this case study is that the doctor at no point in time contacted the customer to enquire about the service that he could provide. The only interactions in the doctor's office were between the Professor and the nurse. In an ideal situation, Dr. Martin could have called the professor to follow up at the end of the business day or between patients. In a worst-case scenario, a call could have been made the next day to follow up and enquire about the effect of the medication that was provided.
In an environment such as managed healthcare, it is becoming increasingly clear that doctors and patients are experiencing shorter interaction- and follow up times. This became obvious in the case study described. Another trend is also being observed in the health care industry that is being managed in the form of a production or manufacturing line mentality. Here a prescription was written out for a patient that the doctor that not even seen. Prescriptions and remedies that are doled out often are done with access to limited information that the doctor might have based on the information that is provided by the patient. It is also very strange that Dr. Martin had a major reservation in recommending his patient to another doctor in spite of his inability to meet with the patient.
The experience that the professor had in the HealthCheck Clinic on the other hand identified a treatment method by which the patient (customer) was offer the best available consulting and diagnosis. The professor experienced a minimum wait time. And the service providers at all levels were very courteous and polite. This makes a significant difference to patients who are often in pain and discomfort due to their...
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