The Healthcare Industry Representatives Association (HIRA) held its Annual Conference this summer in Atlanta, Ga. The meeting was attended by both independent representatives as well as manufacturers, many of whom exhibited their products. Here are some highlights.
Dynamics of a changing market
Scott Adams managing partner of Share Moving Media Inc. (formerly MDSI), publisher of Repertoire, kicked off the meeting with his presentation “Dynamics of a Changing Market.” Some key points:
- Most of the changes in the industry today are being brought about, and accelerated by, the Affordable Care Act. The long-term objective of the ACA is to create connected and accountable outcomes involving the complete compendium of healthcare and the community.
- The physician landscape is changing. Forty-three percent of physicians are now employed by hospitals or health systems; 59 percent under the age of 40 are employed, compared to only 33 percent of those over age 54; and 52 percent of female docs chose to be employed versus 38 percent of males.
- MACRA (the Medicare Access And Chip Reauthorization Act) signals a move away from fee-for-service to AMPs (Alternative Payment Models) and the MIPS (Merit Incentive Payment System). The goal is to tie 90 percent of Medicare payments to quality and value (outcomes) by 2018.
Despite complexity and consolidation, distributors will continue to play a significant role in the supply chain, said Adams.
Watch out
HIRA Executive Director Charlie Higgins reviewed the presentation made at the last conference by HIRA Counsel Adam Glazer, in which he discussed the liabilities that reps and manufacturers face in our litigious society – everything from being brought into a lawsuit involving a patient in a healthcare facility, to having one’s computer hacked for sensitive information. The various types of insurance coverage were briefly discussed followed by an explanation of the same.
Nick Rohle and Linda Braden, with VGM Insurance Services, a division of the VGM Group Inc., a long-established company that provides business services and solutions to the healthcare community, offered further information about the risks and insurance considerations of which sales professionals should be mindful.
Get in your customer’s head
Christophe Morin, CEO of SalesBrain, addressed the topic, “Neuromarketing: Understanding the Buying Buttons of Your Customer’s Brain.” Morin holds a master’s and PhD in media psychology, and has consulted with many leading companies across various industries, not only in the psychology of selling, but also in the development of advertising campaigns. Morin challenged the group to learn how to think differently about sales presentations, and showed examples of award-winning television ads on which he had worked. His primary message: Learn how to determine the customer’s pain points, and then address them in such a way that they are received by the brain to deliver the desired result.
Value analysis
Gloria Graham, DNP, RN, president of the Association for Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals (AHVAP), explained that although value analysis may be new to healthcare, it dates back to General Electric, who developed it in the late 1940s. She defined healthcare value analysis as a systematic process to review clinical products, equipment and technologies to evaluate their clinical efficacy, safety and impact on organizational resources. She stressed the importance of strengthening the provider/supplier relationship.
Healthcare value analysis is a five-step process, she said: Identification, Information-gathering, Analysis, Implementation, and Monitoring. Value analysis teams are interdisciplinary and represent the key areas, both clinical and administrative, of the hospital.
Technology and sales
Ben Saur, CEO of Target Pipeline, presented “Medical Device Sales – Mobile, Smarter and Integrated: Customer Relationship Management.” Our rapidly changing industry and the proliferation of mobile technology are causing medical device sales leaders to reevaluate the chain’s sales strategy, he said. He outlined trends in CRM and about how Target Pipeline has been built to address those trends.
Beth Gibson, Sr. director, healthcare GS1-US, provided attendees an overview of the Unique Device Identifier (UDI) ruling. She touched briefly on GS1 and then explained the acronyms associated with UDI – GLN, GTIN, SSCC, EPC/S GTIN, all components of barcodes which will soon be included on all products. She discussed the value, benefits, UDI compliance dates, implementation guidelines, and related topics.
Rob Alford, vice president, product management, Vizient, described the company and its capabilities. A combination of VHA, University HealthSystem Consortium, Novation, MedAssets Spend and Clinical Resource Management, and SG2, Vizient now represents healthcare’s largest performance improvement company, he said.
Don Sizemore, co-owner of medical specialty dealer D & D Medical Inc. and president of IMDA (the Independent Medical Specialty Dealers Association), presented “Tech Tools You Should Know About.” Sizemore brought with him technology tools, discussed smartphone apps, talked about local vs. cloud-based systems, how to get more from your computer through Learning Management Systems, the values and options of video conferencing, and other technologies.
“Networking with friends, colleagues and associates, is one of the greatest benefits of participating in the Annual Conference,” said Higgins. “One never knows when the person you met at this gathering could be the person who provides an important contact or piece of information for you in the future.”