Although health plan performance data are becoming increasingly more available, many purchasers are still not using these data to make their purchasing decisions. In this article, we review barriers that private purchasers face to using performance data. In addition, we consider the effects of the larger health care purchasing environment and employers' quality improvement activities on their u...

Existing neuroimaging studies in decision making predominantly employ the fMRI method. Despite its superior spatial resolution, fMRI is an expensive and impractical neuroimaging technology for purchasing behavior studies in the field. This study aims to explore the role of prefrontal cortex during purchasing behavior by utilizing functional nearinfrared (fNIR) spectroscopy; a low-cost, non-inva...

Retiring group purchasing veteran Robert “Bud” Bowen says he is optimistic the industry will convince critics in government that it is capable of regulating itself and thus avoid passage of limiting legislation. Bowen, who retired March 31 as CEO of Amerinet in St. Louis, says there are laws in place to provide the oversight of contracting methods and vendor relationships that critics have dema...

Organization/ Association APICS The Association for Operations Management Purchasing Management Association of Canada (PMAC) National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, Inc. (NIGP) Universal Public Purchasing Certification Council (UPPCC) Procurement, Materiel Management and Real Property (PMMRP) Community Management Office, Acquired Services and Assets Sector (ASAS), Office of the Comptroll...

BACKGROUND Many of public hospitals in Japan have had a deficit for a long time. Japanese local governments have been encouraging public hospitals to use group purchasing of drugs to benefit from the economies of scale, and increase their bargaining power for obtaining discounts in drug purchasing, thus improving their financial situation. In this study, we empirically investigate whether or no...

Health reform is complex, and simple solutions tend to be elusive. The speakers at the Strategic Levers for a High-Performing Health System symposium presented valuable insights about two key issues confronting health system reform: strategic purchasing and equity. Given the dollars at stake – $148 billion annually and counting in Canada, nearly $100 billion of which comes from the public purse...

This research aims to explore how buyer-supplier relationship impacts the intention to adopt electronic purchasing (e-purchasing) by the printing industry in Singapore. The study utilizes the key concepts of organizational buying behaviour in terms of buyersupplier relationship. A research model combining the theory of buyer-seller relationship and organizational culture with aspects of Innovat...