7 minute read
Reducing the Risk
from REP June 2020
The New Normal
Reducing the Risk
For the foreseeable future, infection prevention will be front and center in conversations with customers.
In the following article, Repertoire Magazine reached
out to manufacturers for insights on how COVID-19 was affecting their work with distributors and physician offices, as well as their advice on effective infection prevention protocols, and how the COVID-19 pandemic may change healthcare forever.
Participating in the discussion were: ʯ B. Braun Medical Inc. ʯ Sri Trang USA ʯ OraSure
Repertoire: What were you hearing from distributor reps as far as how they were communicating and working with physician offices while most of the country was under shelter-at-home orders? Nina Pittner, marketing manager, Channel Devel
opment: Our distributor reps have remained in close contact with customers, doing everything they can to support them with products that are vital to patient care during the crisis. In many ways, through calls and virtual
meeting tools, the level of communication with many of our customers has never been stronger.
Repertoire: How have suppliers been helping physician offices beef up their infection prevention efforts? Tracy Butryn, associate director, Channel Develop
ment: B. Braun has been actively providing guidance and solutions on ways to reduce the risk of clinician exposure to COVID-19. One example is information developed by our Medical Affairs team on the use of additional lengths of tubing with our Space™ and Outlook ® large volume infusion pumps. The extended tubing allows pumps to be kept outside patient rooms, which reduces the time clinicians spend in patient rooms and helps preserve limited PPE. We have also provided information on the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) issued by the FDA, allowing for the use of certain B. Braun infusion pumps with nebulizers to treat COVID-19 patients. The EUA allows for an alternative method to administer continuous nebulized medications to patients on ventilation, helping to protect clinicians by reducing their exposure to infected patients.
Repertoire: When reps return to calling on physician offices, what are some ways you foresee these visits changing?
Butryn: It’s a given that representatives will need to pay close attention and adhere to all physician and health system safety and prevention practices, now and in the future. Beyond that, we expect there will be strong interest in collaborative efforts to plan and better prepare for future crises. B. Braun’s Collaborative Care program, for example, offers multiple ways to better understand health system needs and provide data-driven solutions. One component of this program is a pump asset analysis conducted by our clinical consultants who collect data and assess the optimal need for infusion equipment at a facility. The COVID-19 crisis has underscored the need for such planning to occur long before a medical emergency so that health systems can ready.
Repertoire: In what ways do you think the COVID-19 pandemic is going to change healthcare forever?
Butryn: The pandemic has taught us many lessons. We anticipate that many of the preventive practices put in place during the crisis will continue, and the healthcare system as a whole will be better prepared and equipped to take action quickly to prevent the spread of future disease threats. We have also learned new ways of collaborating with partners across the system to address public health emergencies in comprehensive ways, including government agencies, providers, suppliers, and distributors.
Sri Trang USA, Inc.: Supportive and responsive Repertoire: What were you hearing from distributor reps as far as how they were communicating and working with physician offices while most of the country was under shelter-at-home orders?
Sri Trang USA: Distributor reps want to be supportive and responsive. With the increased demand for PPE and social distancing requirements, they have shifted to other methods of communication whether video or phone conference calling. And we think they’ve done a good job of trying to provide creative solutions rather than hard selling. They understand the environment right now.
Repertoire: How have suppliers been helping physician offices beef up their infection prevention efforts?
Sri Trang USA: Suppliers recognize the market and have shifted in a variety of ways. Certainly some suppliers have been able to increase their product share from manufacturers, some have been able to source new manufacturers quickly, and some have simply gone to an allocation system to ensure certainty for their current customers. The entire supply chain understands the impacts from the pandemic and so you see efforts at all levels to provide supplies, resources, and education.
The New Normal
Repertoire: When reps return to calling on physician offices, what are some ways you foresee these visits changing?
Sri Trang USA: Well certainly you will see changes on two fronts. First, you will see some of the hygiene and social distancing practices and protocols in place because of the pandemic stick around many offices. This may be in the form of tighter credentialing or stricter rules regarding in-person visits. Secondly, we think we will see a shift towards a more collaborative and frank relationship between reps and physician offices.
Repertoire: Will reps need to wear protective gear? If so, what are the essentials?
Sri Trang USA: It is possible, but ultimately it will be up to the facility. We think we will still utilize remote capabilities in the short term. In the long-term, we expect an extension of hygiene practices from clinical staff outwards to office staff, reps, and other visitors.
Repertoire: What steps will be priorities in effective infection prevention from individuals?
Sri Trang USA: First and foremost, we want to follow guidelines published by competent authorities like the CDC and NIH. As always, proper hand hygiene is key, which includes proper hand washing, appropriate use of PPE, and awareness of your surroundings.
Repertoire: In what ways do you think the COVID-19 pandemic is going to change healthcare forever?
Sri Trang USA: We definitely expect an increase recognition for multi-source contracting and supply, as well as a review of safety or reserve stock management. We have
seen this in other industries. We think we will also see increased involvement from Risk Managers, Quality Control Managers, and Infection Preventionists.
Repertoire: How can the med/surg community improve its infection prevention advocacy and efforts moving forward?
Sri Trang USA: The med/surg community is responsive and adaptable. We will see collaboration from all points in the supply chain. There will be increased education, training, and advocacy, which ultimately results in increased transparency. And there will be multiple changes, whether immediate and small scale, like adding a hand sanitizing station at entrances, or long term at a larger scale, like sourcing diversification or training investment.
Repertoire: In what ways do you think the COVID-19 pandemic is going to change healthcare forever? Todd Grice, national sales director, Infectious Disease and Risk Assessment, OraSure, Technologies,
Inc.: The COVID-19 pandemic is having real impacts to how healthcare is offered by practitioners and how patients experience care. Innovation is at the crux of our new reality. The current environment of social distancing and stay-at-home orders is forcing organizations, communities and individuals to find new ways of doing things.
Stephen S. Tang, Ph.D., president and CEO, OraSure:
Looking ahead, we see individuals wanting more autonomy over their healthcare – and we are responding. For example, the pan-SARS-coronavirus antigen rapid in-home self-test that uses oral fluid samples that OraSure is developing puts control in the hands of the individual. The test would be designed for in-home self-testing by lay users, though medical professionals will be able to use it in clinical settings too.
OraSure’s painless oral fluid testing would give users a “lab on a swab,” and fast results – all in the privacy of the home. Bringing an in-home rapid test for current COVID-19 infection to scale, like the oral fluid antigen test OraSure is developing, could be a game-changer. Testing millions of people in their homes, identifying those who are infected with COVID-19, whether or not they are exhibiting symptoms, and isolating them will help protect our communities, restart our economy – and keep it moving forward.
