GPO & IDN ShareGroup

GPO & IDN ShareGroup Takeaways

September 2018

The GPO and IDN ShareGroup met at the 2018 Streamlining Healthcare Expo and Business Exchange in Chicago last month. Facilitators David Forbes, Mercy Medical Center, and Darrel Weatherford, AdvantageTrust, led the group in discussing the ways that GPOs and IDNs can take an active role in strengthening their supplier relationships:

• GPOs and IDNs should take a more active role in clearly defining and agreeing upon upfront contract terms and conditions. They need to commit to adhering to terms and conditions throughout a contract’s start and end date
• Provide standardized contract price equivalents across every products’ various units of measure (case, pack, each, etc.), since “good data in ensures good data out”
• Regarding contract notification standards, partners should agree on timing and communication expectations. Determine when “the clock starts” (When the contract is created? When tier eligibility is activated?) and stick to that timeline
• The amount of time it takes to create and implement a new contract from scratch can be taken for granted, and inconsistencies can occur between system-level and individual site details
  • Contract compliance risks can vary depending on the care site or products purchased
  • Consider standardizing foundational, boilerplate contract components that can be tailored further to specific categories