Case Study 2: Inappropriate Use for Points You are the health care administrator

Case Study 2: Inappropriate Use for Points
You are the health care administrator overseeing the operations at New Haven Wound
Treatment Center. You have noticed that several of the nurse managers and nurses
have increased recommendations to physicians on using a new product, Healthy
Healing, for patients in the wound treatment center. You have received complaints from
some physicians in the wound treatment center that have indicated that the nurses are
quite insistent and appear to be ignoring doctor’s orders for treatment on using a
different product that is less expensive and just as efficacious.
You decide to do a walk-through in the wound treatment center. You meet with the
nurse managers and hold a brief meeting with the nurses during their breaks to
determine why Healthy Healing is considered a superior product. While the nurse
managers and nurses appear to quote material from a sales brochure highlighting the
benefits of using Healthy Healing, you are familiar with the other products that doctors
have used over several years that have contributed to successful and effective results
for patients in the wound treatment center.
As you wrap up your meetings and walk-through, you overhear a nurse manager
discussing her newest purchase that she was able to get as a result of HH points. The
nurse manager exclaims, “Next month, I will be sure to use enough Healthy Healing so
that I can earn the HH points needed to get that trip for two to Paris!” You cannot help
but feel that this represents a direct conflict of interest and decide to approach the nurse
manager about the HH points system. The nurse manager is surprised to see you and
begins explaining how for every instance of Healthy Healing used, nurses receive
various points. The more Healthy Healing product used, the more points the nurses
earn. These points, called HH points, can then be used to trade in for various products
and goods in the Healthy Healing catalog.
You ask the nurse manager if she sees a problem with this and she immediately
defends back, “Those sales people walk up and down these halls every week. If the
hospital or center did not want us to use these products and take advantage of the
perks, they would not allow them to be here in the first place.”
You immediately determine that this does indeed present a problem and you organize a
meeting with the CEO of the New Haven Wound Treatment Center to initiate the
cancellation of the Healthy Healing points system.