Opinion survey: materials management and purchasing habits.
This opinion survey was undertaken to gauge the current status of materials management and purchasing departments at hospitals throughout the southern and southeastern United States. The survey was based on lengthy telephone interviews (from 30 to 60 minutes) and followup discussions with materials managers, purchasing agents and administrators. Interviews covered a variety of topics, including: cost-containment strategies; group purchasing and consignment purchasing; and current and anticipated trends in materials management. Many questions were left open-ended, so the survey could gauge attitudes, as well as determine contemporary practices and procedures. (In some cases, respondents were also given the opportunity to comment on the statements of their peers, in order to corroborate and substantiate data.)
D003132:Commerce; D006755:Hospital Shared Services; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008421:Materials Management, Hospital / Q000639:trends*; D011682:Purchasing, Hospital / Q000639:trends*; D015144:Southeastern United States; D013223:Statistics as Topic