Given this, I think it is fitting to share some recent findings about how the care nurses provide can be significantly impacted by healthcare logistics or courier services. A couple of months ago, we partnered with American Nurse Journal, the official journal of the American Nurses Association, to survey nurses to better understand how logistics and courier services impact those incredibly important frontline healthcare workers. And while we thought we had a reasonable idea of what they encounter, the results were pretty staggering.
Healthcare logistics—the movement of critical materials including lab specimens, supplies, pharmaceuticals and surgical equipment—impacts the delivery of patient care far more than most would expect, the survey results indicate. According to the 353 nurse respondents:
- 87% said that medical courier deliveries—or lack thereof—impacted their work weekly
- 71% said a medical courier delay or error impacts their ability to provide patient care at least once a month
- 65% have had to collect another specimen/sample for testing
- 56% have had to reschedule a patient procedure in the past year
- 19% said that errors or delays impacted their ability to provide patient care five or more times per month
Here’s the thing: healthcare logistics is too often considered a cost center when it is actually a vital part of delivering care. That is why we have invested (and continue to invest) in our infrastructure, to ensure that our entire system drives quality and reliability. Our error rate—a very small fraction of the industry average—enables us to support healthcare professionals, like nurses, to provide better care.
When choosing a logistics provider can mean the difference between enabling effective healthcare or hindering it, our company’s mission “to deliver health” is more critical than ever. Our entire team salutes the incredible care that nurses provide to patients every day. We are gratified to know that in supporting their work we make a meaningful contribution to better healthcare and better health every day.