Value Analysis Recall Advisor

Laying a Strong Foundation for Your Recall Management Program

Tracey Chadwell, BSN, RN, CVAHP, HACP Value Analysis Recall Management Advisor and Owner, TACH Consulting

In this edition, let’s explore what is needed to create a successful recall management program for any healthcare facility.

The Role of Executive Leadership in a Recall Management Program

Like any other program, we strive for compliance, positive outcomes, and sustainability, which means that the importance of efficient recall and alert management needs to become embedded in the culture of the organization. The only way this occurs is if the concept is embraced and supported by the executive leadership. This will ensure awareness of this process and promote recall and alert management as a patient safety initiative for the organization, bringing patient safety and risk management staff into the process. Executive oversight should promote accountability for outcomes, and they should serve as the review board when escalation is required.

Some organizations, especially larger ones, may also find it necessary to also designate another group of clinical leaders to serve on a Safety Alert Response Team. The purpose of this group is to mobilize the organization in the event of a critical alert that poses a threat to patient or staff safety, providing a network of individuals that can act immediately to identify and remove any products that pose such a threat. They can also develop a plan of what needs to be done should a replacement product be needed to ensure the continuity of care to patients.

Who Owns the Recall Management Process?

Once leadership has embraced the importance of recall and alert management, a structure for the process must be defined. This will largely depend on the size and resources of the organization. On the supplier side of the recall notification process, recalls are usually managed by a post-market team, not the sales team that value analysis professionals and supply chain staff normally interact with. This post-market team relies on the “ship to” data that they have for an organization when determining who receives the recall or alert notification. This means that one organization may receive multiple alerts, each one going to one of its “ship to” locations, which may or may not include the supply chain/materials management department. This can make managing these notifications a very daunting task.