Connecting, signing on dotted line

One of the buzzworthy phrases making the rounds in healthcare information technology circles is "closed-loop solutions." But in the cloudy realms of revenue cycle and supply chain management connections, closed loop is more conceptual than commonplace.

In the diverse manufacturing, distribution and retail worlds outside of healthcare, inventory management represents a fundamental business practice to be mastered because participating companies widely and wisely recognize that bottom-line performance directly impacts top-line revenue and profits. Unfortunately, such a philosophy has yet to permeate healthcare.