Chances are clinicians don’t even know what a hospital’s item master is, much less how it impacts their desire to first and foremost take care of patients. Unless they work more closely with an item master in the Cath lab or OR, they only react when a supply is no longer on their shelves, not taking notice unless it has changed.

If you can get an audience of willing clinicians within your facility or system, teach them what the item master is and conduct searches on various supplies. They need to know that they can choose alternate items, in many cases that are comparable in results, versus ordering a new item on- or off-contract.

Education is also key to standardization when pet names for products are prevalent within facilities and even regionally. For example, in one facility, a visceral-retainer is called a "fish" by everyone in the OR. It’s not necessarily based on the product’s brand name, but instead because the item looks like a fish.

At the same time, nurses are notorious for filling out charge sheets and running out of time. When they don’t know an item name or number, they simply turn the document in without it. Coming into the organization as a new nurse, you likely won’t know that a "fish" is actually a visceral-retainer or its item number for coding and charging supplies.

Once they are able to peruse the item master or catalog, they can benefit from learning standardized items, even if it’s only the ones that jump out at them, and be able to apply them to charge sheets appropriately. An item master that is linked to your revenue cycle takes this process one step further, significantly narrowing the field of items that aren’t properly charged.

One of the first and best things you can do as a supply chain or materials manager is create a link between your department and the clinicians within your facility. Listen to what they have to say. Consider hiring a former clinician who understands their perspective but also respects the role of the supply chain.

Nurses can be your worst, best enemy as you navigate this process if it’s new. Reach out and add yourself to the nursing leadership team’s agenda even if it’s just five minutes. Talk about supply and related changes that may be coming in the future. While it’s up to nursing leadership to spread the news among their departments, you’ll be letting them know that something they’re looking for might not be on the shelf anymore.

Anticipate that you’ll have to take some flack for past mistakes made by you or others in administration, but by closing the communications gap, you will earn points. One of clinicians’ main objectives for the supply chain is to work with them to improve quality of care, not harm it.

Andrew Knight, R.N., serves as vice president, Aspen Healthcare Metrics, a MedAssets company. Knight has more than 20 years healthcare experience in clinical and managerial roles with substantial expertise in supply chain operations. Knight served as director of material management, is a registered nurse and has a degree in healthcare administration.

Tammy Hougland is executive director, content fulfillment for MedAssets. She specializes in item master data for MedAssets supply chain analytics solutions and was an OR nurse for 7 years.

Know that it’s up to materials managers to reach out and prove your worth. Be consistent and structured with the timing of communication. It’s about more than talking to the value analysis committee, it’s about being engaged with all types of clinicians.

Similar to education, communication can be critical in getting staff to learn new names within an item master. You’re likelier to succeed when you can talk about the benefits. How about the hospital that experienced quicker payments, leading to better staff ratios because it could finally afford to hire more?

Use your newfound communications vehicle(s) to educate and enforce the rules related to the item master. This will help standardize it inside a hospital and across sister facilities. Teach appropriate ways to use it. If it is kept neat and tidy then it becomes easier to use. Ease with the staff will ensure its success.

Today’s standardized item master can be a good tool for ensuring items are accounted for, sourced, utilized and appropriately charged. Oftentimes, the item master can be linked to the provider’s MMIS or Pyxis machine. The challenges arise when clinicians think the Pyxis machine is their item master or when they see this technology as an extra layer versus helping improve supply chain and sourcing efficiency.