Healthcare logistics—the movement of critical materials including lab specimens, supplies, pharmaceuticals and surgical equipment—impacts the delivery of patient care far more than most would expect, according to a new survey conducted by American Nurse Journal. Of the 353 respondents, 87% of nurses said that medical courier deliveries—or lack thereof—impacted their work weekly. Additionally, 71% of nurses said a medical courier delay or error impacts their ability to provide patient care at least once a month.
New Survey of 350+ Nurses
According to the survey, 32% of nurses have created a «secret stash» of supplies, and 27% have personally transported an item to another facility in the past year to overcome courier issues. Nearly one-fifth (19%) said that errors or delays impacted their ability to provide patient care five or more times per month.
«Healthcare logistics is often viewed as a cost center, rather than a vital part of delivering care,» said Jake Crampton, CEO of MedSpeed. «However, when you look at what nurses said in this survey, the role of logistics becomes evident.» Crampton continued, «That intrinsic link to care delivery guides MedSpeed’s mission and our commitment to investing in the infrastructure that drives quality and reliability and enables clinical effectiveness.»
The American Nurse survey found that 56% of nurses have had to reschedule a patient procedure in the past year because of medical courier delays or errors, while 65% have had to collect another specimen/sample for testing.
Crampton added, «This survey also shines a light on the financial impact logistics has on care delivery, especially when you consider the cost in delays to procedures. Couple that with the harm that negative patient reviews could have on a healthcare organization’s competitive position, and it becomes clear that partnering with a provider like MedSpeed—with an error rate that is a small fraction of the industry average—can drive profound savings for a health system.»
Courier issues also prevent nurses from operating at the top of their license by forcing them to resolve problems and issues that are beyond their control. A different survey found that 72% of nurses said they were experiencing burnout before the pandemic, and 90% were considering leaving the already critically short-staffed nursing profession within one year if issues go unaddressed.
The anonymous survey of nurses was conducted by American Nurse, the official journal of the American Nurses Association, on behalf of MedSpeed from February 1-28, 2022.