If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it’s that the global supply chain is both integral to our everyday lives and easily disrupted. But the likelihood of another toilet paper shortage aside, the pandemic also shone a spotlight on the growing demand for ecommerce and the healthcare system’s dependency on a functional supply chain.
In its 2020 annual report, the Healthcare Supply Chain Association said, “a strong, resilient, high-quality supply chain is a crucial component of the U.S. healthcare system” and that it supports increased supply chain diversification to prevent issues in the future.
Even without the strain of a global health crisis, successful patient care relies on getting supplies, equipment and medications wherever they need to be, whenever they need to be there. For traditional logistics companies looking to supplement their services by delivering fast solutions for the best patient care, crowdsourcing is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Restock supplies stat
In most healthcare facilities, procurement teams work with providers to have supplies delivered on a regular basis. From clean linens to band-aids, predictable deliveries are essential to fulfilling a community’s regular healthcare needs. But what happens when supplies run unexpectedly low and another shipment isn’t due for weeks? This is where on-demand delivery becomes critical.
Bulky items like crutches and splints are a great example of items that are restocked less frequently or in smaller quantities than everyday items like gauze and medical tape. But as any emergency department or urgent care can tell you, many facilities are just one bad traffic accident or communicable illness outbreak away from depleting supplies on hand.
Whether localized to a single facility or more widespread, these situations are ripe for the benefits of crowdsourced delivery. This can help businesses serve healthcare facilities and resolve acute supply shortages quickly. At a moment’s notice, the Roadie nationwide network of 200,000 drivers can pick up and deliver supplies from warehouses or directly from the manufacturer whenever needed.
Close the loop on digital healthcare
Roadie drivers are no strangers to the world of healthcare. In 2020, Roadie began working with ScriptDrop to help alleviate the “pharmacy deserts” found in 40% of U.S. counties. The partnership helps ensure that patients around the country, even in hard-to-service rural areas, receive their medications on time every month.
The approach dovetails nicely with the adoption of digital healthcare, which has increased five-fold since 2020. According to the American Medical Association, about 25% of patients used telehealth services in 2022, compared to 5% in the year before the pandemic.
McKinsey & Company found that adoption of digital healthcare services was highest among urban populations where pharmacies and doctors’ offices are easier to access. Even so, healthcare providers can leverage crowdsourced delivery in both urban and rural areas, helping connect patients with medications and supplies they might need with the ease of home delivery.
Fast fulfillment of unique needs
When patients visit the doctor in person, healthcare facilities occasionally need specialty items to treat them properly. Especially in emergency situations, patients may not arrive at the hospital or urgent care with all of the medications they take on a daily basis. If those meds aren’t stocked in the hospital pharmacy, a quick replacement could be necessary. Having an on-demand logistics partner like Roadie at the ready means doctors can replace patients’ prescriptions quickly without any interruption in their treatment.
Crowdsourced delivery can also support specialty equipment supply. Whether a patient needs a unique diagnostic tool or a surgical instrument or implant, such as a rod to repair a broken bone, healthcare teams can call on Roadie drivers to pick up and deliver equipment from other facilities or suppliers, even in emergent situations.
Add crowdsourcing for a healthy logistics mix
Whether patient care needs are urgent, unique or both, crowdsourced delivery is the best option for filling gaps in your healthcare logistics solution. Roadie’s platform offers providers delivery speeds that can fulfill those needs within hours through a wide network of independent drivers and their vehicles, so providers can send and receive everything from aspirin to crutches. Reach out to Roadie today to learn how your healthcare team can start leveraging crowdsourced delivery today.