Analyzes the United States' health care supply chain. This book offers an examination of how the health care supply chain helps create value and competitive advantage. It presents an examination of the trading relationships among the manufacturers of health care products, the distributors, the hospital customers and end users of those products.

Preface. Acknowledgments. About the Author. Part I: Value Chain Basics. 1. The Wharton School Study of the HealthCare Value Chain (Lawton R. Burns, Robert A. DeGraaff, Patricia M. Danzon,John R. Kimberly, William L. Kissick, and Mark V. Pauly). 2. Importance of the Health Care Value Chain (Lawton R. Burns and Robert A. DeGraaff). 3. How the Health Care Value Chain Operates (Lawton R. Burns). Part II: The Intermediaries. 4. Role of Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) (Lawton R. Burns). 5. Role of Wholesalers and Distributors (Lawton R. Burns and Robert A. DeGraaff). 6. Threats of Disintermediation Facing Distributors (Robert A. DeGraaff and Lawton R. Burns). Part III: The Manufacturers. 7. Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (Lawton R. Burns and Patricia M. Danzon). 8. Medical Device Manufacturers (Robert A. DeGraaff and Mark V. Pauly). 9. Medical-Surgical Manufacturers (Lawton R. Burns). Part IV: E-Commerce. 10. E-Commerce in Health Care Manufacturers,Distributors, and GPOs (Lawton R. Burns and Robert A. DeGraaff ). 11. E-Commerce and Integrated DeliveryNetworks (IDNs) (Lawton R. Burns). Part V: Conclusion. 12. Conclusion (Lawton R. Burns and John R. Kimberly). Index.

Written by Lawton R. Burns and a panel of expert contributors, from the prestigious Wharton School, The Health Care Value Chain analyzes the key developments and future trends in the United States' health care supply chain. Based on a groundbreaking research initiative underwritten by the industry/university consortium— the Center for Health Management Research— this important book offers an in-depth examination of how the health care supply chain helps create value and competitive advantage. The Health Care Value Chain offers a thorough examination of the trading relationships among the manufacturers of health care products, the distributors, the group purchasing organizations, and the hospital customers and end users of those products. And the authors show how health care professionals and manufacturers can work together to form beneficial strategic alliances. The Health Care Value Chain Shows how the health care value chain worksUncovers the complexity of product procurement and deliveryReveals the pathways and stumbling blocks to improved value chain operationsDescribes the strategies of manufacturers in three product areas-pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and medical-surgical productsExplains the strategies of group purchasing organizations and wholesaler/distributorsReveals the role of e-commerce in the health care value chainCompares the health care value chain with the "extended enterprise" model found in the auto industryOffers insights into the hospital customer of the future The Health Care Value Chain will give a greater understanding of how the health care supply chain works in order to enable health care executives to form strategic alliances, increase their market power, and gain competitive advantage.