Transforming Hospital Supply Chain With Virtual Clinic Business Model Essay.

The Virtual Clinic Business Model

The supply chain network of hospital is on a transformative phase and with the virtual clinic business model the supply chain would be wholly transformed. Social media marketing would help the managerial staffs of the hospital to witness escalation in the sales revenue. This revenue generation would add value to the profit margin (Dominici 2009). The maintenance of this chain in the supply of quality medical services would alter the business scenario of the hospital. Carrying out evaluation in this supply would bring to the forefront the drawbacks persisting within the medical services.  

The main supply chain Network in this case will be the website. This is a virtual clinic where the patients would be able to connect with doctors online with the help of website. Hence, website forms an important network in this case. The other channels of supply in this business model would include mobile app, automated devices in hospital waiting areas as well as automated devices in shopping malls and petrol stations (Dominici 2009).    

The supply chain of the virtual clinic business model would include a simple supply chain system in which the patient would be able to obtain medical advice and medication at home.

Figure 1: Supply Chain System of Virtual Clinic

(Source: Learner)

This system would allow flexible consultation and supply medicines and samples at home or at the workplaces. The user would also be able to obtain calendar notification for the next appointment. 

Risks are an integral part of business. Risks make the personnel aware of the ways and means to overcome the intensity of the crisis. The variability in the risks aligns with the concept of  the Virtual Clinic personnel to emerge successful.

Technical risk- This is the most important significant risk, which is identified in this supply chain, as the entire transaction would be done on website. Technical failures aggravate the complexities of the administrative authorities. Specifically, it compels the company personnel to witness significant loss in revenue and reputation to the business (Dominici 2009). Lack of spontaneity in this direction qualifies the concept of Virtual Clinic as “backdated” in terms of technological advancement.

Supply Risk- Patients, in order to cure their diseases, need quality medical services. This projects the responsibility of healthcare professionals to possess adequate stock of medicines. It is the duty of the professionals to ensure the availability of the medicines in the stocks. Strikes contradict this duty, as it obstructs the flow of product and service. Strikes reflect compromise with the health needs of the patients. Specifically, it deprives the patients of quality medical services, which cures them from diseases. Exposure of this behavior acts as a deviation from the usual roles and responsibilities of the healthcare professionals. Prolonged nature of these strikes delays the treatment of the patients. This crisis aggravates their health issues (Dominici 2009).  

Supply Chain System of Virtual Clinic

Planning and control risks- Planning systematizes the business activities of the companies and organisations. This holds true even for the concept of Virtual Clinic. The creation and development of effective plans enables the administrative authorities of the hospital to mitigate the intensity of the potential risks. Herein, lays the justification of placing planning and risk control in the same alignment. On the contrary, absence of planning, prior to the initiation of a business, leads to massive failure in the business strategy (YourStory.com, 2017). This absence might generate from financial instability, which deprives the patients of quality services. Herein, lays the significance of the planning, which proves beneficial in mitigating risks, such as, expired medicines, adulterated medicines among others.

Strategy acts as a central doctrine for companies and organizations in terms of achieving efficiency in the business tasks. Strategising the proposed plans takes the concept of Virtual Clinic a step forward towards the achievement of success. Maintenance of integrated structure assists the personnel of the hospitals in mitigating the intensity of the potential risks. Identification of the risks is the primary activity, which solves half of the problem. Application of the available solutions would act as a sequential step towards lessening the intensity of the encountered risk (Dominici 2009). Evaluation in this stage would be a conscious approach towards the care of the patients. Maintenance of consistency in this evaluation would bring noticeable improvements, such as Virtual Clinic. This upgradation possesses flexibility for the hospital personnel to attain customer satisfaction.

Apart from this, adherence to the viewpoints of the stakeholders and shareholders would assist the hospital staffs to launch beneficial schemes, which safeguard the rights of the patients. One such example is the mediclaim. Moreover, adoption of means, such as, survey, feedbacks and portals would lead to the establishment of Virtual Clinic, which would enable the hospital personnel aware of the patients’ response towards the provided service (Dominici 2009). Frequent surfing of these sites would assist in altering the quality of the services, which contradicts the question of risks.  

The name “marketing mix” aligns with the experimentation capabilities of the hospital staffs towards the achievement of customer satisfaction. These experimentation aligns with the word “mix”. Within this, components of price, place, promotion and product help the hospital staffs to reach their target. Strategizing in this direction is a beneficial means towards business expansion.  

Figure 2: Marketing Mix

(Source: Dominici, 2009)

Risks in Supply Chain

The business organization is web-based corporation and the main objective of the business is to provide health care and medical facilities through online portals and applications. From this perspective, adopting JIRA software would help the hospital staffs in planning beneficial medical services for the patients. This software would specifically assist the manager in systematizing the business activities through the means of partnership working.

Also, this facility proves very much beneficial for physically challenged people, as all their health history files can be stored online, and can be easily accessed by the consulting doctors.

The organization is entering India for the first time. In addition to this, the concept of virtual clinic is also quite new here. Hence, it would be essential to adopt competitive pricing strategy (Dominici 2009). Bearing in mind the income and lifestyle of the patients, while setting prices, would help to attract people. Evaluation in this case attains prime importance. This is in reference to the judgment regarding the feasibility of the selected software for providing modern and technologically advanced care to the patients.  As the concept is new, fluctuations in the prices and high exchange rates might act as an obstacle in its initiation. Therefore, market research would act as a wise approach towards setting up of price.      

As discussed in the above section, this application would be available online. The only way to access this app is through internet.  The application would  be available in hospitals and healthcare organizations. 

Since the organization is new in India, it is essential to carry out effective promotional strategy. The tablet with Virtual clinic app can be placed at main reception of the hospitals and Virtual clinic representative can offer the services to patients and benefits. Flyers and brochures distribution in hospitals and public places would also help. Advertisements in websites and social media would also help to promote the product (Dominici 2009).  

The virtual clinic concept is quite new in India. Therefore, there is high tendency of encountering threats of substitutes. This factor would give the concept tough competition from the contemporary brands. This is in reference to the attempts made by the contemporary startups to gain a firm place in the market (Dominici 2009). Evaluation is of prime importance in this case as it would help in the assessment of the hospital performance in terms of the market competition. Maintenance of frequency in this evaluation would upgrade the performance of the hospitals in terms of providing quality services to the patients. Along with this, effective adherence to completion policies would help the hospital staffs to enter into fair competition with the contemporary brands. Hence, it is significant to adopt surveys, feedbacks and customer portals, which would result in the production of customer centric services.  

Planning and Control Risks

Performance management holds prime importance for companies and organisations in terms of achieving successful completion of the business activities. This is applicable even for the concept of Virtual Clinic (Bureau 2017). As a matter of specification, the performance level of the virtual clinic can be assessed with the following value proposition ideas:

• Contemporary time saving consultancies& dispensing
• Medication & lab test can be done online at any place like home or workplace
• Decreasing problem of minor consultations to allow expansion to major surgeries
• Going digital as a competitive advantage

The term “virtual” in the concept aligns with the quadrant of technological development in Prospers’ value chain analysis. Adopting software, which possess web applications is a time and cost effective means for delivering quality care and services to the patients. Providing the facility of lab tests through this software aligns with the specific needs of the patients. One of the mentionable facts at this point is the online consultation with the doctors, which would enable the patients to get treatment advice through relaxing at homes (Bureau 2017). Ability of the hospital staffs in making judicious use of the software adds to their individual performance. From this perspective, it can be considered as one of the key indicators of advancement in medical science. 

The design and the engineering of the Virtual Clinic Application has been illustrated below:

Figure 3: Design and Engineering of Virtual Clinic  

(Source: Ward, 2016)

In the above figure, the entire design of the application has been provided. The users need to log in through their app to get access to the service. The app would be available in android phones. After this, there would be web services and data bases that would be connecting the patient to the physician or to the hospitals.       

• Patients who are middle aged, busy lifestyle who are using digital media would be able to easily handle the application
• There would be no need to wait in a queue to meet with the doctor
• The patient would be never left alone

This application would be of specific assistance to the healthcare professionals in terms of maintaining the records of the patients, including pets. This adds to the stock of the hospitals (Dominici 2009). The provision of online consultations nullifies the concept of standing in long queues, which aligns with the specific needs, demands and requirements of the patients. Along with this, effective adherence to Data Protection Act (1998) would assist the hospital staffs to maintain the privacy of the patients, which aligns with the moral ethics and culture.

This is a web based application and hence there would be no need to charge. The other system needs to be keep updated so that the patient can avail the service anytime they want it to be (Ward, 2016).  The charging system is much developed in these virtual based health clinics. The technology is immense in these things.  The JIRA software is a very improved one, which helps in acquiring more durability in the operating systems. The hospital staff can use these inventions and attain more success. These would lead to a very successful future of the hospital through multifunctional technological usages.

Marketing Mix

The min cost that would be incurred in this case is the amount that would be spent for registering the App construction. Apart from that there would be cost incurred for consulting the doctors and specialist and for purchasing medicines. These are the costs, which are minimal as compared to the benefits obtained. This has to be fuel-efficient, which possesses flexibility to save more energy. Thus, it should be easier to handle and low cost so that everyone can afford it.

MyDermacy, Celes Care, Credihealth are some of the virtual healthcare app that are available in India. In addition to this, the business would also encounter competition form the tradition hospitals and the mode of traditional checkup. The competitive position of new Virtual Clinic has been illusted with the help of Competitive matrix: Hospitals operate in a mass market so they have to rely on some technologies that can operate  in a  mass market to serve better.      

Figure 4: Competitive Matrix

(Source: Bureau, 2017)

The virtual clinic is expended for online health care through different hospitals.  The targeted customers will be more easily attracted by the business organization as they already are connected to the internet. Mumbai is selected to start the business as this city the most developed and updated region in the country and the company will easily able to have access over the type of audience selected. Free internet access is the common feature of Mumbai, which aligns with its geographical demographics. Moreover, the company needs to  consider the preferences of the young adults, as this segment have the most users of the applications and are found most active on web world, and can help their elderly relative to get into health care online (Bureau 2017)

The company can target the individuals who are physically unable, or leading a busy lifestyle and doesn’t want to spend time to visit the hospitals and doctors. In addition to this, this facility can be very much beneficial for physically challenged people, as all their health history files can be stored online, and can be easily accessed by the consulting doctors. The company can focus on the audience who are more comfortable to the internet and the web based programs, social media. Hence, in this case youth of Bangalore are targeted. The company can target mainly on the individuals who prefer online mode over other modes for shopping, making payments and other related transactions and many more purposes (Dominici 2009). 

References

Bureau, V. (2017). Doctor Insta makes virtual clinic a reality in India. [online] -Voice&Data. Available at: https://www.voicendata.com/doctor-insta-makes-virtual-clinic-a-reality-in-india/ [Accessed 14 Mar. 2017].

Dominici, G. (2009). From Marketing Mix to e-Marketing Mix: a literature overview and classification.International Journal of Business and Management, 4(9).

Ward, M. (2016). Research topic: Managing compassionate therapy-the role of the virtual clinic.Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 31, pp.44-45.

YourStory.com. (2017). With over 1, 00,000 unique patients every month, online clinic MyDermacy virtually addresses dermatological issues. [online] Available at: https://yourstory.com/2015/08/mydermacy/ [Accessed 14 Mar. 2017].