The keys to ethical recruitment

by Admin 2. November 2006 13:14

Healthcare recruitment company DOCS International explains its philosophy: using fair and open dialogue to meet the needs of clients and candidates in the medical devices sector.

In these days of ethical foreign policy, ethical business and even ethical coffee, what does ‘ethical recruitment’ mean? The dictionary defines ethics as ‘A system of accepted beliefs that control behaviour, especially such a system based on morals.’ So ethical actions must be ones that adhere to this.

How is this related to the world of recruiting staff for healthcare companies? The vast majority of companies operating within the healthcare sector operate in an extremely ethical manner in that they are bound by a desire to improve the life of their users: the patients. Surely this approach should also extend to their suppliers and the companies that provide the most important resource in a company, its people.

If the recruitment process is conducted in an unethical manner, how can it be expected that the end result of a recruitment project, the hired candidate, is going to believe in the ethical nature of the employer? The recruiter is often the first point of contact a potential employee has with a company. First impressions last, and cannot be remade. If the process contains flaws, potential candidates will be put off and the company’s reputation will be damaged in the marketplace.

Starting off on the right foot

Ethical recruitment starts with identifying potential candidates. Recruitment companies should not lie and cheat in order to target certain candidates. Ask any current recruiters how they identify potential candidates, and make sure you are happy with their answer. This is just the start of the recruitment process. Once a candidate is in process, there are many potential pitfalls waiting along the line. There should be regular contact between the recruiter and the candidate throughout the process, setting up and preparing for interviews, gaining feedback after interviews and, finally, negotiating job offers and acceptance. Throughout this process the recruiter should be informed, open and, most importantly, honest.

Again, the recruiter is acting on behalf of the recruiting company. Its actions at this stage influence the candidate’s view of the hiring company, so any mistakes or, worse, misinformation will affect the candidate’s opinion of their prospective employer.

Being fair to both sides

From a candidate’s perspective, there is a great deal to consider when dealing with recruitment companies. A candidate’s job application can come about via two different methods: either approaching recruitment companies to search for roles or being approached (headhunted) by a recruiter. In both instances, it is vital that the candidate feels comfortable with the situation they are in. The recruiter is representing the candidate to their client, and in doing so naturally wants to make them appear the best possible person for the role. How far should this ‘spinning’ extend, though? The recruiter must never make false claims about the background of the candidate, and should always try to ensure the best possible fit between the recruiting company and the potential candidate.

Throughout the whole process, the key element is often the cultural fit. This comes down to whether the proposed applicant will be able to work in the recruiting company. The skill and experience match can be clearly assessed by reviewing CVs. The recruiter’s skill lies in matching the culture of the employer to the personality of the candidate. From all of the above, the conclusion has to be: think about how you are being represented when you are recruiting or being recruited.

Matching clients and candidates

DOCS International was formed in The Netherlands in 1997. The company focused initially on clinical positions within pharmaceutical companies and CROs, before moving into sales and marketing positions. Five years ago, DOCS International formed a Medical Device Division to concentrate solely on this industry vertical.

We offer both sales and marketing services and clinical recruitment within the Medical Device Division. The European coverage of DOCS International allows us to offer searches across Western Europe to find the right candidate in the right country for every position. We are also expanding our coverage into the emerging Eastern European markets. When we take on any new position to fill, we work to a set process. This starts with us spending time with the client to create a detailed job description, so both parties have the same understanding of the role and the desired characteristics of suitable candidates. From there, we move onto a search for suitable candidates.

Throughout the recruitment process, the key element is often the cultural fit. This comes down to whether the proposed applicant will be able to work in the recruiting company. The recruiter’s skill lies in matching the culture of the employer to the personality of the candidate.

When identifying candidates, we endeavour to meet the majority face to face for an indepth competency-based interview. We look to understand their experience and, more importantly, their motivations. Once the candidates start being interviewed, we stay involved through briefing and debriefing both the candidates and the clients throughout the process. By understanding both parties, their requirements and their motivations, we are able to support all phases of recruitment. When working on assignments, we look to maintain a balance in the workload we take on. As a company, DOCS International would prefer to say ‘no’ to assignments rather than commit to searches that we are unable to fulfill.

Taking care of business

The DOCS International team in the UK is made up of a Business Director and two consultants: Anthony Blandford, Clare Casey and Zoe Gmaj. Anthony has spent six years selling medical devices for two of the largest companies in the market, and heads the UK team. Clare has a degree in medical imaging and gained experience of working in a cath lab before moving on to recruitment three years ago. Zoe joined DOCS International straight from a biochemistry degree, and has spent her time learning about recruitment and the healthcare industry.

What DOCS International is able to offer is the opportunity to remove the headache of recruitment. By meeting our clients, usually at their offices, we are able to gain a better understanding of the cultural match between the parties and so reduce the number of candidates interviewed by the client. This timesaving approach allows healthcare companies to leave the first screening of candidates to us and focus on what they do best. Whether you are looking for people or positions, in the UK or across Europe, DOCS International is here to support you. 

To discuss utilising the services of DOCS International or to explore the vacancies on offer, please phone 0870 351 6674, e-mailmedicaldevicesuk@DOCSint. com or visit our website at www.DOCS-int.com

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The customer is always…UNIQUE

by Admin 1. November 2006 23:38
 

 

David Evans of Grass Roots explains how the principles of targeted and customer-led selling apply to the medtech sector.

 

 

 

 

David Evans

Selling to the NHS is no different from selling to any other group of buyers in principle, but it is special in practice – just as in all buying environments. Being able to gather and use the details of experience is fundamental to effective selling.

Cold calling

The mythology of selling includes the iconic figure of the salesman who could sell snow to Eskimos. (The vocabulary itself refers to a time of more simplistic assumptions about gender and ethnic groups.) Two things are certain.
Firstly, that such a salesman never existed.
Secondly, that if he had, he would have pitched his sales patter at a need that the Eskimos had not hitherto identified, in terms that appealed to their emotional as well as their rational side. His pile of snow would have remained unsold if he had simply recited its features.

The effective sales person does not overwhelm all customers with a universal magic spiel: they treat all customers as individuals, engaging them in a skilfully orchestrated conversation that does not feel like a sales pitch at all. Most of us generally feel uncomfortable when the seller is apparently more concerned with their own needs (hit target, make money, win holiday) than with ours.

The FAB sales model

Fashions in selling come and go, but the Features, Advantages and Benefits (FAB) sales model has stood the test of time. It can be summarised as:

Feature What is it?
Advantage What does it do?
Benefit What will it do for me?

Features and advantages are matters of fact: if my product can be supplied the next day (a feature), then orders can be delivered without delay (an advantage). But there is no benefit until this is translated into such personal terms as “you will save the cost of keeping a high inventory”, “You will be able to use your storage space more effectively” or “You will be able to react quickly if there is unforeseen high demand.” These may vary widely in importance and relevance.

Features and advantages can be determined independently by the provider, manufacturer or supplier, but benefits only come to light in the case of an individual customer. This leads to the crux of the matter: the seller needs to know and appreciate the professional and personal circumstances of the buyer before they can hope to describe and sell the benefits of what they are representing. And a sales pitch delivered without due regard for the person hearing it has the same chance of success as a random search for a needle in a haystack.

The words that count

Our company name, Grass Roots, reflects the fact that we concern ourselves with the people who are the foundation of any client organisation. We are able to work successfully in many different fields, markets and countries because, when all is said and done, people everywhere respond to similar stimuli.

And for many people, the most stimulating of all activities is talking about themselves. So although we will do some homework before we meet a potential new client, we always ask – and let them tell us – what it feels like to do their job. By careful listening and intelligent questioning, we gain insights into their work, their needs, their priorities and their vocabulary. Vocabulary is a key factor: different clients may use different terminology for the same things. The sooner we identify and adopt their expressions, the sooner they think of us as being on their side. We take care to find out what is important to the client, by listening and by inference.

In the NHS, this might include patient care, patient dignity and cost savings; the motor trade’s goals are more likely to include market share, customer retention and profit.

In both cases, the client will place a premium on good product performance and good supplier value. In every case, we need to communicate the benefits of what we have to offer.

The human factor

The golden rule is not to make assumptions. Our experience of the NHS has taught us two valuable lessons. The first is that although the NHS is an umbrella institution, it is not a homogenous one. The second is that staff groups in the NHS are very sensitive to comparisons with other staff groups, even though these may be counterparts. If you want to get a meeting off to a bad start, try saying: “I imagine that you are very similar to XYZ, who we visited last week.” You might feel the need for some of your own medical technologies later!

Although the NHS is an umbrella institution, it is not a homogenous one. Staff groups in the NHS are very sensitive to comparisons with other staff groups, even though these may be counterparts.

Experience suggests that the first time you meet a prospect, the best strategy is to play it safe; but the second encounter – if there is one – should draw on all the information gathered at the first. For example:

•If you see the same hospital receptionist, make sure they realise you have noticed.
•If the customer constantly allowed interruptions, have a plan to deal with this.
•Remember what form of address was established – was it Dr Smith, Mrs Smith or Joan?
•If you were not offered tea or coffee last time, have one beforehand!

Customer individuality is the keynote. The more calls you make, and the more people you see, the more work needs to go into keeping records. Oddly enough, people are more easily offended if you confuse them with someone else than if you forget about them altogether. Perhaps they read the subconscious message that you have relegated them down your pecking order of importance.

You also show respect for individuals by tailoring your pitch to the role of the person concerned. This involves finding out exactly what the role is – surgeons, nurses and paramedics are not interchangeable. Once you understand where they fit in and what is important to them personally (which could range from clinical evidence to availability or disposability), you can demonstrate that you have the answer.

Only you need to know all the facts about your product: any customer is probably only interested in some of them, and your skill lies in identifying and presenting what is important. Your credibility will suffer if you pitch either too high or too low, since people do not relish either being baffled or being patronised. Sales people who insist on airing all their product knowledge without fear, favour or finesse often find that buyers are unexpectedly ‘out’ whenever they subsequently call.

Common ground

The skills required for success in medtech sales are not in themselves different from those that work well in other contexts – they just need to be applied sensitively, intelligently and specifically to make the best possible use of everyone’s time. If there is one word that sums it up it is empathy: imagining what it is like to be the buyer, and saying what they most want to hear.

Grass Roots Logo David Evans is Chairman and Chief Executive of Grass Roots, one of Europe’s leading performance improvement companies. For more information, visit www.grg.com

 

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Regaining trust: the semiotics of product design

by Admin 1. November 2006 23:37
 

 

Can you judge a stent by its cover? Diane Fox-Hill of PDD Group discusses how medical device marketing can inform the ‘look’ of the product.

 

 

 

Dianne Fox Hill Semiotics can be described as a science of signs. It investigates how people’s attitudes, perceptions and beliefs are formed by the culture around us.

For marketing and sales professionals, semiotics provides a way to interpret the ‘codes’ or implicit messages embedded within a brand or product, its competitors, its product sector and the wider culture.

By providing a detailed picture of the symbolic nature of a product and its environment, semiotics can widen the scope of marketing and offer new ideas to make a brand more successful.

In safe hands

Medical packaging codes are among the most stable in our culture. They are professional, conservative and purposeful. They communicate authority, trust and scientific status through visual cues such as:

• Extensive white space, connoting clarity and honesty.
• Conservative blocks of colour, presented in binary opposition (e.g. blue/white, black/white) – typically not more than two dominant colours.
• Professionalism and conservatism conveyed through limited colour palettes – nothing busy or fun.
• Quantification – using numbers in a specific manner.
• Iconography – specific symbols that depict product use, often taking a graphical form such as a heartbeat.
• Straight lines, either rectilinear or diagonal.

The crisis of trust

However, public trust in the healthcare industry isn’t what it used to be. Lawsuits, financial improprieties, well-publicised abuses and the proliferation of choice have damaged what were strong bonds.

The opportunity to research medical issues on the Web, private healthcare options and awareness of the fallibility of the NHS have also fuelled mistrust, creating a more critical landscape in which better-informed consumers, whether patients or prescribers, ‘choose’ services in a way more similar to the retail environment.

Faced with modern cynicism, it is increasingly important for the medical technologies industry to consider alternative ways of framing trust that resonate with the end user. Part of this trust-building begins in the mind of the consumer, with the packaging of the product.

Blending the codes

Medical codes are inherently stable and representative. NHS professionals are so aware of these codes that they are almost edited out of the purchasing equation. In the pricesensitive NHS, cost and routine purchases dominate (often the ordering and re-ordering of devices is mainly historical in nature). However, if the perception of the device (via its own codes or the packaging) can be changed to imply ‘ease of use’ and to point out increased efficacy of infection control through visual cues that professionals understand, there is a clear marketing benefit.

Borrowing codes from outside the healthcare sector is an option. Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) exist in the same cultural world as NHS professionals, and their codes are thus already recognised. The effect of this is enhanced as NHS centralises purchasing across Trusts and the benefits of products can be measured more effectively in holistic ways (e.g. less ward time due to fewer infections). As differentiation becomes more important in a cluttered marketplace, medical brands with brand equity have begun to ‘borrow’ semiotic codes from other areas. Healthcare companies have begun to add friendly ‘knowability’ into
OptiClik from Aventis
the code mix, taking the edge off the impersonal codes of science.

Medical device packaging is blending the two approaches by incorporating shots of the product inside, as demonstrated by the new packaging for the Aventis OptiClik® (see photo). Complete product shots are common features in FMCGs, but are rare in medical packaging. While the overall cues are still strongly ‘doing science’, the realism of the photo helps to bolster trust.

Kind of blue

The packaging of the Blue Sensor® electrode from Ambu (see Figure 2) clearly borrows from FMCG codes, while keeping the connotations of trust and science. The shiny blue and gold packaging connotes luxury and premium status, and even has the confidence to shift the technical information that would normally appear on the front of the packaging to the back.

The visual codes suggest ‘science’, ‘premium’ and ‘natural’. The space on the packaging, the detailed information on the back and the word ‘sensor’ all imply scientific status. The gentle ruffle/curve design gives the impression of soft material and a naturalistic feel (important for a premium electrode). The blue and gold of the packaging suggests premium quality in a very FMCG fashion. It dominates the product connotation, leaving science as the recessive code (on the back of the package). Gone are the classic white space, straight lines, conservative colouring and specific iconography. With this design, the Blue Sensor has created what semioticians call an ‘emergent discourse’ in its sector. However, it has done so as the brand leader in its category. Brands occupying space at the lower end of their medical categories lack the credibility to do this until the successful emergent discourse has become a normative code (after a sustained period of time).

It is also important to note that while Ambu has borrowed semiotic codes from FMCGs, it has not pushed these codes too far. It represents luxury in a more traditional way than many FMCG goods, which use brushed tones of platinum, silver or natural materials rather than gold to connote luxury. The shiny pack also adds to the friendliness of the brand, using friendship to supplement authority as a way of gaining trust. So while semiotic borrowing is apparent in the medical devices field, it is not used widely or in extreme ways. Blue Sensor from Ambu



Feedback from the field

Sales and marketing professionals need to feed ‘readings’ of consumer trust and confidence back into the marketing mix to ensure that they not only hit the right target with the end consumer, but also build mobility and visibility into the brand.

As differentiation becomes more important, medical brands have begun to ‘borrow’ semiotic codes from other areas. Healthcare companies have begun to add friendly ‘knowability’ into the code mix.

A basic understanding of semiotics can help you to identify ways to translate consumer insight into design cues. As semiotics deals with ‘how things achieve their meaning’, it is important for sales and marketing professionals to interpret the meanings that consumers take from the product or packaging and then assimilate this information into the marketing mix.

As a holistic process, semiotics can ensure that all the messages conveyed by a medical device, its package, its marketing and its advertising maximise the effect on your target group. After all, it is crucial to know what the consumers’ perceptions are and how these can be harnessed to work for the brand. Semiotics can explain what the consumers themselves cannot, building on and explaining their perceptions in a way that enables you to leverage the information. At PDD, we are interested in giving our clients the tools for more enhanced brand understanding. Once acquired, these tools can be implemented at various stages of the marketing process, providing invaluable directions and checkpoints.

Diane Fox-Hill is Semiotician and Senior Behavioural Researcher at PDD Group Ltd. For more details, visit www.pdd.co.uk

 

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Operations and Opportunities

by Admin 1. November 2006 23:31

 

 

Nicola Richmond of Baxter Healthcare offers some straighttalking advice on selling in the perioperative environment.

The thought of selling medical devices to hospitals is an exciting one. However, the thought of being in the room during brain or open-heart surgery can bring on a host of other feelings. Many of the teams selling into the ITU or theatres have a medical background – but this does not preclude non-medics with a passion for sales from succeeding in this alien environment. What are the professional and personal strategies for detailing medical devices in stressful clinical environments such as operating theatres?

Being prepared

As in all medical sales, you will need a supportive and in-depth induction plan for your product – but in the perioperative environment, you will need to be able to demonstrate and detail your product without materials. Demonstration products are sometimes allowed, but they must be cleaned as per hospital policy and clearly labelled as ‘demo’. Many medical device companies, for legal reasons, will not allow representatives to touch the products they are selling – so you will need to be able to teach and explain without handling. Normally, a refresher course on the equipment is given to the staff before the case starts. The marketing piece still has a strong place in the detail – but you will not be able to draw information from it in the surgery.

It is important to have spent time with all staff who may be affected by your product. For example, recovery staff will need to know about post-operative care, theatre staff will need to know about timings, and electrical equipment will need to be tested by medical physics staff. Many procurement departments will refuse to allow any equipment into the hospital until it has been fully reviewed; even in an ‘individual case of need’, the paperwork must be complete before you proceed. A formal course exists on theatre selling, and some companies subscribe to this.

With the ever-changing lists and situations within a theatre complex, it is not unusual to find yourself starting very early or finishing very late. This should be taken into consideration before you embark on a career in device sales. Your diary needs to be flexible, and a sense of humour is required when you have driven for hours only to be told: “The operating list has been cancelled.”

Simple points to remember

• Make sure you have a clearly visible name badge with your company logo, and that you have signed in. Access regulations vary from hospital to hospital. It is also imperative to follow the hospital’s regulations on patient consent.
• Do not chew gum.
• Wear little make-up and no jewellery. Many theatres have visitor lockers, so take a small padlock for your valuables. Your bag will be kept outside, so put any other valuables in your pockets.
• You will normally only be asked to wear a face mask if you are within a foot of the bed – otherwise, wear a scrub suit and a hat.

Your diary needs to be flexible, and a sense of humour is required when you have driven for hours only to be told: “The operating list has been cancelled.”

• Always use the antibacterial handwash on entering and leaving the unit.
• When you arrive, introduce yourself to the scrub team and explain who has invited you and what you are doing.
• Mobile phones must be switched off. Many device companies provide the sales team with a pager.
• Try to remain invisible to the patient: do not hang about the end of the bed or talk loudly.
• Never enter the anaesthetic room until any patient being anaesthetised is asleep.
• Judge the mood of the theatre by the staff: a radio playing and staff talking are signs that you can talk quietly.

More complex points

• Check all equipment before you start. Always have spares: it is not uncommon for pieces to fall on the floor or become desterilised. If you are in any doubt do not go ahead, and never be afraid to say that you do not know.
• Always be alert to any problem with the case. Stop what you are doing and step to the side of the room. If a serious situation has arisen that has nothing to do with your product, leave the room. It would be sensible to wait outside until the situation is under control.
• You are privileged to learn much confidential information. Make sure you abide by this: do not talk in inappropriate public areas about the patients or type of surgery you have just seen.
• Be calm and confident at all times. If your product is felt to have let down the user, you will be held accountable there and then. Never underestimate how much knowledge you need about your product. It is always advisable to keep all your handbooks just outside the theatre so you can double-check any details.
• Some products will require you to programme and assist with the settings of sophisticated machines, such as pacemakers. Always make sure you have clear guidelines to follow, and that the final ‘switching on’ is initiated by the healthcare professional and not you.
• It is important to have very clear guidelines from your company’s legal and HR department on what you can say, touch or do.

When the patient is awake

Some surgeries and products lend themselves to procedures, such as angioplasty, where the patient stays awake. Your role as an ambassador for your company is never stronger than when the end user is watching and hearing you detail your product.

In many cases, you will be required to follow up with the patient at a clinic or on the ward. It is always necessary to have a member of staff as a chaperone, and for them to make detailed notes in the patient files.

Before a job interview

It is not unheard of for sales people to faint in the surgery – so make sure you are psychologically equipped for this work, and that you can attend an interview for a medical device sales job with a clear example of your aptitude for it.

Many theatres are supportive of representatives watching procedures before an interview for a sales job. The theatre manager, who could be a senior nurse or ODP, would be the best person to approach. A personal recommendation from a colleague working in theatres will help.

If you cannot gain access to a theatre before your interview, why not ask a veterinary surgeon whether you can watch an animal being operated on?

The opportunity to make a real difference to patients’ lives is the main driver for many people who sell in ITU or the theatre environment. Nothing brings the benefits of a product to life better than seeing the results in action.

Why it’s worth it

Visiting stressful clinical environments is well worth the effort in order to reach and understand your market. The opportunity to make a real difference to patients’ lives is the main driver for many people who sell in ITU or the theatre environment.

Nothing brings the benefits of a product to life better than seeing the results in action. And often the teams on the ground bring new ideas or improvements back to the company, thus becoming part of innovation in healthcare.

Once you get a taste for this unique and privileged world, you may never want to go back to traditional face-to-face sales.

Baxter logo Nicola Richmond is National Sales Manager for Anaesthesia at Baxter Healthcare. For more details, visit www.baxter.co.uk

 

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Novation: Will Quality Come First?

by Admin 1. November 2006 23:29
 

 

On Target looks at the US experience with GPOs and the likely implications for the NHS.

Novation, the US healthcare contracting services company at the centre of the controversial NHS supply chain restructure, has said that “quality” will be its priority in the new system. The company says it will support DHL in taking NHS purchasing in the UK to a level where it can help providers deliver savings and focus on patient care. But opponents have yet to be convinced.

The DHL/Novation deal has given rise to fears in the UK that hospital purchasing will be cost-based, depriving patients of essential technologies. These allegations are denied by Novation, whose Senior Vice President, Jody Hatcher, said: “Quality comes first. We’re looking forward to bringing our process of clinician review to the NHS to ensure medical input into the supplies selected for contracts. Novation’s US clinician councils help review all kinds of products, including new and innovative technologies that advance patient care.

The ultimate goal is to help hospitals afford these essential, but expensive, supplies.”

No going back

However, evidence from the States is less encouraging. Thomas Shaw, who invented a retractable syringe to protect workers from deadly infections, filed a writ in 1998 accusing Novation of conspiring to prevent hospitals from buying his product. His company, Retractable Technologies, received an £80 million settlement from Novation and other companies named in the case. Shaw believes the contract will have damning implications for the UK: “Patients and healthcare workers will be denied life-saving, innovative technologies and costs will be driven through the roof,” he said. Julia Hipps, a US nurse, contracted hepatitis C when she accidentally jabbed herself with an infected needle in 1999. Hipps believes that the three years of chemotherapy that followed her diagnosis could have been avoided. “At the time, Retractable Technologies had invented its safety needles, but I worked for a hospital that issued us with traditional needles under a contract it had with Novation,” she told the Mail on Sunday. “I live in constant fear that the virus will flare up again and destroy my liver. I am very surprised that your health service is hiring Novation and I really hope they reconsider.” Other observers are less diplomatic. Philip Zweig, also of Retractable Technologies, described the appointment of Novation to work on NHS supplies as being like “appointing Jack the Ripper to run your Neighbourhood Watch”. Zweig, who is involved with a campaign in the US called Stop GPO Kickbacks, told UK campaigners Keep Our NHS Public that Novation is a “corrupt organisation” and alleged that its practices have actually inflated healthcare costs in the US.

Texas healthcare

Novation claims that US hospitals have controlled costs by working with group purchasing organisations (GPOs) to pool the buying power of hospitals and negotiate a competitive price for high-quality supplies. In 2005, it says, hospitals saved over $1 billion on supplies they bought through Novation contracts. Novation says it will leverage innovative procurement strategies developed in the US to improve efficiencies, maintain quality and increase savings in the UK. It also claims that UK medical supply companies will benefit from its transparent bidding process, which follows guidelines outlined by the Official Journal of the European Union.

However, the GPO model in the US has earned widespread criticism. One leading NHS supplier told the Times: “In the US, GPOs are controversial because of legislation that allows them to accept ‘kickbacks’ from suppliers. The size of these payments depends on the size of the contract, which means, critics say, that GPOs inflate costs to increase their fees.” Another analyst estimated that GPOs extract additional profits of $5–6 billion that legitimately belong to hospitals.

According to Novation, using the NHS Supply Chain procurement contract will be voluntary for hospitals in the UK.

 

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Dos and don’ts of Theatre Access

by Admin 1. November 2006 23:25
 

 

Dos and don’ts of

THEATRE ACCESS

Paul Smooker of Healthcare Skills Training presents a risk management exercise for the sales representative in the operating theatre.

Paul Smooker Look at the photograph on the right, taken at the entrance of a building site. It displays all the information you require to ensure that your visit to this hazardous area is risk-managed safely, thus protecting yourself and the staff.

Can you say that you have risk-managed your visit within the clinical environment as rigorously? Are you aware of the regulations that apply within the hospital premises?

Why are you here?

As a Theatre Directorate Manager or SSD Manager, I always assumed that the various visiting representatives had a valid reason for being in the departments within my remit. I also assumed that they had been invited for a valid clinical reason, and that they had made all the required arrangements to ensure that their visit was relevant to the clinical area they were visiting.

How wrong I proved to be!

It was not unusual for me to see a representative in my environment without my prior knowledge, the visit having been arranged by someone else – thus potentially placing the patient’s outcome in controversy, as the visit may not have been managed correctly.

The responsibility for providing safe working practices lies with hospital management, and managers of clinical areas must carry out a risk assessment of everything that occurs within their area of responsibility. They are charged with eliminating all hazards where possible. Where this cannot be achieved, they must minimise the risk associated within the hazard. This is performed as a formal documented procedure, and includes the provision of training for their staff.

I decided to carry out a risk management exercise on company representatives using my department. This involved discussing their knowledge of their product with them in some detail. I also determined how aware they were of cross-infection, decontamination, PPE, patient confidentiality, consent to their presence in the theatre, their own health and safety and that of the staff and patients around them. This tied in with much of the legislative initiatives that we, as healthcare professionals, had to sign up to, such as Clinical Governance, Clinical Effectiveness, COSHH, RIDDOR, Continuing Professional Development and Value for Money.

A warning to the careless

It is no longer acceptable to assume that the product specialist is competent within the healthcare environment. Healthcare professionals are the patient’s advocates in the healthcare environment, and we cannot afford to take risks or rely on assumptions when it concerns the patient’s well-being. We must therefore ask ourselves: are the potential risks that any representative or other visitor to our department may bring justified and legitimate?

As we seek to reduce risk and increase patient safety, patient expectations rise. Despite the newspaper headlines and media scares, their expectations are mostly

EXPECTATIONS TO HELP RISK MANAGE YOUR VISIT
GREEN LIGHT
• Make sure the reason for your visit is managed and valid.
• Seek the advice of the department manager to ensure that all hazards are explained to you.
• Make sure that your visit is recorded, and that you book in at both the main reception and the department reception.
• Make sure that you communicate relevant details, with reference to your product and any ancillary equipment requirements, effectively and efficiently.
• Be courteous. Remember you are a visitor to the healthcare environment.
• Be knowledgeable about your product and impart that knowledge in an appropriate manner. Please do not be intolerant of staff or assume that they are stupid: we all learn at different rates.
• Make sure you have all records of the product with you, and that you take away a decontamination record and the ability to track and trace.
• Engage the staff with the development of the product as regards ease of use and decontamination. Liaise with your engineers to gain this information.
• Bring a product manual with you.
• Offer further training and keep in touch to check on progress.
• Make sure you train the relevant staff in an appropriate environment (this includes the SSD).
• Have you made sure the patient is aware that you may be present? Ask the surgeon to confirm.
• Follow local hospital policies as well as your company policies. If in any doubt, ask about the correct procedure.
RED LIGHT
• Do not make anecdotal claims such as “It sterilises better”, “ It’s single-use but you can use it 24 times”, “It’s simple to decontaminate, any fool can do it”. I have heard all of these!
• When asked for verbal technical assistance during an operation, have the presence of mind and the honesty to reply openly and get to the point. If you don’t know, say so. If you’re unsure how something works, it may now be too late and may have a negative outcome for the patient.
• Pre-plan your visit and know your equipment.
• Don’t expect the department manager to have unlimited time to allocate to you. Be a body language expert.
• Do not take any photographs without formal consent from the patient, and seek permission to publish.
• Do not remove any patient information unless it is anonymised.
• Never repeat what you may have seen or heard.
• Never speak negatively about the competition – imagine how you would feel if you changed companies, then tried to engage customers in your new product.
• Don’t accept any nonsense from the departmental staff: you have the right to have your kit returned to you in the condition in which you brought it to the department, fit for further use, decontaminated and certificated as such.


ARE YOU QUALIFIED FOR THEATRE ACCESS?
Healthcare Skills Training is a group of healthcare professionals committed to delivering validated competencebased training. The external educational validation comes from Edexcel, one of the leading examining and awarding bodies in the UK and throughout the world. The level of validation is professional and set to demand reflective practice, analysis and application of knowledge in the OR. These professional qualifications (BTECs, NVQs and so on) are internationally recognised and accepted by the entire healthcare industry. They provide hospital managers with objective evidence of an individual’s professional competence to a national training standard. Professional support comes from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP), the Royal College of Surgeons and the British Healthcare Trades Association.

The BTEC international quality assurance validates the course content and, more importantly, the professional competence of each successful participant. The BTEC qualification addresses and fulfils the current requirements for companies and their representatives in terms of compliance, data protection, management regulations, employer liability and the DH Code of Practice for Confidentiality. The qualification can be accessed as a two-day teaching programme where all competencies are taught and assessed, or as a one-day revision course for tenured theatre professionals.


met; but when they are not, patients now demand explanations and (usually) compensation. The incidence of litigation following adverse incidents has risen dramatically. In 2005, the Government’s Accounts Committee found that some 974,000 patient safety incidents and ‘near misses’, including 2,181 patient deaths, were recorded by the NHS; but it stressed that underreporting was a serious problem. “(NHS) trusts estimated that on average around 22% of incidents and 39% of near misses go unreported,” the report said. These are alarming statistics, and highlight the need for strict control over access to the healthcare environment.

Healthcare professionals are the patient’s advocates in the healthcare environment, and we cannot afford to take risks or rely on assumptions when it concerns the patient’s well-being.

There is no doubt in my mind that the company representative has a vital role to play in the healthcare environment, supporting the clinical staff to help deliver a positive patient outcome. After auditing the outcomes of these discussions, I also had no doubt that the representatives had quite dramatic gaps in their knowledge of the environment and standards applicable to their presence within the healthcare environment. Some of these gaps could result in a negative patient outcome with the potential for litigation against the Trust, the representative or their company.

This is where the symbiotic relationship between healthcare staff and representatives comes into play. We can all learn a great deal from each other in order to ensure positive patient outcomes. Please read through the list of dos and don’ts for theatre access on page 11, and ask yourself: are you doing everything possible to keep your visits to high-risk areas safe?

Duty of care

We should never lose sight of the fact that we are in an extremely privileged position when someone entrusts their physical and mental well-being to us – as healthcare professionals or as healthcare industry specialists – in the knowledge that we can affect the outcome of their visit to the hospital. Few people are entrusted with such responsibility.

The patient deserves and is entitled to a firm and total regard for their well-being and safety. This can only be assured by professionally qualified and accredited members of the healthcare profession and the healthcare industry.

caution signs

Warning signs

 

 Finally, look at the two signs above. Ask yourself: • How relevant are these signs to you? • Are you aware of their meaning?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Smooker is the Course Director for Healthcare Skills Training (HCST).



 

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Interview with a Surgeon

by Admin 1. November 2006 23:22

 

The Other Side 5:

Interview with a Surgeon

John Probert is Consultant Urologist at Weston General Hospital, Avon. On Target asked him about purchasing medical equipment at the ‘cutting edge’ of NHS surgery.

1. What part does purchasing play in your working life? What types of medical equipment do you need to purchase?

Well, obviously surgeons have a major say in the purchasing of the equipment that they end up using, as well as what instruments and materials are going to be bought for use by their junior medical and the nursing staff in their department. How much say I personally have depends on the situation: for something that is in general use, such as a urinary catheter, I and my surgical colleagues, with input from our nursing staff, will come to a consensus as to the most appropriate purchase option; whereas I would have the main say in deciding which of a particular type of specialised surgical equipment to buy if it was mainly, or only, going to be used by me. So I have at least some degree of influence on the purchase of everything that we end up using in the department, from which stoma bags to buy for patients who have had urinary diversions up to which ultrasound machine we need to get for advanced diagnostics. In the operating theatre, I’m involved in the purchase of everything needed for whatever surgery I carry out, from absorbable sutures to a flexible ureteroscope.

2. What factors influence your purchasing decisions?

What you’re always trying to do is find equipment that will function well for the lowest price! This means that if there is a choice between something that is ‘all-singing, alldancing’ and a no-frills alternative, then the no-frills option wins almost every time. I say almost because from time to time, we are fortunate enough to receive charitable donations from fundraising groups; and on occasion the funds have been raised with the aim of purchasing a specific type of equipment, or equipment aimed at treating a particular condition such as prostate cancer.

Apart from the items themselves, something else that will influence which company you go to (and keep going back to) is your colleagues’ prior experience of dealing with a particular manufacturer. I don’t just mean the experience of consultant surgical colleagues, but also that of operating theatre staff, clinical nurse specialists, ward sisters and the like. If someone I know has had a bad experience with a company – in terms of the equipment being faulty, the delivery or replacement time being unreasonably long, or just the general attitude of who they dealt with – it becomes less likely that I will want to deal with that company. Similarly, if someone has had an especially good experience or was given a particularly good deal on several items of equipment, word of that can travel fast as well.

On Target - Interview with a surgeon

3. What aspects of medical device sales and marketing do you find helpful? What aspects do you find unhelpful?

Any written information that can be left with me or sent to me, stating clearly and concisely what a particular piece of equipment can and cannot do, is very helpful. It’s also important for me to know contraindications of use, and the compatibility of the device with the equipment I already have. This is particularly important with the endoscopic work I undertake. For example, if I want to buy a grasping forceps for extracting ureteric stones I need to know whether it will fit down the ureteroscopes that we have in theatre.

The things I find most unhelpful are brochures and other literature that treat medical equipment in the same way that contemporary advertisement campaigns try to sell you a car – I really don’t need these things to be over-glamourised. In terms of the representatives who come to see me, it quickly becomes obvious whether someone knows his or her way around the pertinent facts. What I don’t want is someone who insists on carrying on with their flipchart presentation when, either for reasons of time or because what they’re saying isn’t specifically relevant to me, I’m just trying to find out what I need to know about an item of equipment.

4. Is there anything in particular that sales professionals could do to meet your needs better?

I think as long as they are easily contactable, are able to answer any questions I have or to find out the answers within a reasonable time span, and are able to present the pertinent details of any item that may be of interest to me without being overly pushy or doing a ‘hard sell’, then I’m quite happy. Having someone on hand in theatre when I’m trialling a new piece of kit can also be very helpful, provided they actually know how it works and what to do if it doesn’t. This is particularly important with more complex pieces of equipment such as an ultrasound machine, and I have to say the backup for the machines that I have been involved with purchasing has been exemplary.

5. Do sales representatives, in your opinion, function well in the clinical environment? If not, how could they improve?

That’s an interesting question! I think they have a difficult job in that often the only time they can get to see me is in the little gaps I have in the day when I’m free. Certainly most of the ones I know do a good job of keeping up with where I am, and of hanging around when things overrun unexpectedly. I think it’s important they appreciate (as almost all of them seem to) that everyone around them is very busy and that often there isn’t the time to sit and go through things in as much detail as we would like – which brings me back to the point about them needing to provide succinct literature that I can look through when I have a bit more time.

“Having someone on hand in theatre when I’m trialling a new piece of kit can be very helpful, provided they actually know how it works and what to do if it doesn’t.”

6. What products do you look forward to seeing, or hope to see, from the industry in the near future?

One of the exciting things about urology is that it is such a rapidly developing specialty. The advances being made in the fields of endourology and laparoscopy – for example, new developments to facilitate endoscopic stone management – mean that there’s often something new just around the corner. This, in turn, means it’s important that the companies trying to sell me this equipment provide competent, informed, educated sales professionals who can outline for me the practicalities and limitations of any device I might want to trial.

 

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APPREHENSIVE About Appraisals?

by Admin 1. November 2006 05:00

APPRAISALS DON’T HAVE TO BE DREADED EVENTS. GILLIAN MORGAN OFFERS SOME ADVICE ON HOW TO ENSURE YOUR NEXT APPRAISAL IS BOTH A PAINLESS AND A PRODUCTIVE EXPERIENCE.

Most people approach their annual appraisal with a certain degree of trepidation. Although it might not be possible to make it an altogether enjoyable experience, there are many things you can do to ensure your appraisal is a productive and successful one. One of the key factors to help make the process less painful is to be fully prepared. It is particularly important to remember that preparation should be ongoing throughout the year – not a rushed job the day before you are due to meet your line manager! Generally, industry appraisals are in two parts: firstly, the aim is to complete an appraisal document, which reviews sales and activity performance; secondly, the appraisal should review core professional competencies or behaviours, such as:

• planning and effectiveness
• business skills and client focus
• team working and communication
• performance enhancement
• leadership (where appropriate).

Smart Career Management

At the start of each year, clear objectives and goals need to be set, and these should be referred to throughout the year to ensure you are making effective progress. These targets should be used as the basis for your appraisal. It is important that you continuously review your own progress against these targets and adapt activities or behaviours, where necessary, to help you achieve your goals. Remember, all objectives should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based.

Appraisal documents should be regarded much like a well-used business plan – they need to be considered as a work-in-progress. The appraisal system needs to be flexible and should encourage a review of an individual’s needs and performance requirements. In addition to your appraisal document, your Personal Development Plan (PDP) should be considered a key part of the overall appraisal process and is often reviewed at the same time to ensure you are receiving the right training and development. This plan can help you and your line manager identify gaps in your knowledge and training and, importantly, log when these needs have been met. Your appraisal can also be a chance to talk about your career aspirations, so if you want to take on extra responsibility, move up the career ladder or become a field coach, now would be an ideal time to talk to your line manager about what you can do to achieve your goal. To become a field coach, for example, you could attend a coaching skills course or discuss what practical work you could do in your current job, such as coaching a less experienced representative, to improve your skills.

Clear Communication

Ongoing and open communication with your line manager enables you to discuss any specific issues you may have and resolve them as they occur. It also means you can:

• Discuss, record and celebrate successes
• Review current performance against competencies, activities and/or objectives
• Identify gaps between actual and target performance levels
• Identify suitable training interventions
• Highlight the possibility of any objectives not being met
• Maintain a written record of success and areas requiring development – to be included in your formal appraisal
• Provide constructive feedback to each other.

A good manager will provide consistent feedback throughout the year. The formal appraisal makes up only one part of the process and ongoing feedback is vital. Exactly how often feedback is given is determined by an individual’s needs and experience. This form of open communication also ensures there are no surprises on the day.

Evidence of Effectiveness

It is important to collate evidence throughout the year in a ‘brag file’ to support your appraisal. This provides documented back-up to support your key achievements and career highlights. Some examples of things to collect and include in a brag file are:

• Documentation demonstrating your success in getting a new product onto the hospital formulary
• Copies of any presentations you may have given
• Feedback from internal and external customers which communicates your key strengths, for example, letters of commendation or emails from colleagues
• Any evidence of continued learning, for example, certificates for any relevant training courses you have attended.

Shaun Parry, a Senior Sales Representative at In2Focus, attests to the value of his ‘brag file’: “Being fully prepared for my appraisal and ensuring I collected relevant information throughout the year meant that I was able to discuss my progress with my RBM without feeling like I was taking an exam! We had a very productive meeting and I was really pleased I had taken the time to go through the supporting evidence and the appraisal form in advance so I could easily highlight my successes and also areas where I might need to improve.”

The Big Day

If you have been preparing for your appraisal throughout the year, the day itself should be relatively straightforward. It might be an idea to speak to your line manager in advance to determine if any specific preparation is required by you and what you should bring along. If you have an appraisal document from last year you should always ensure you review this beforehand.

Top tips
• Keep all supporting evidence well organised and in a clear format

• Where possible, send information to your line manager in advance of your appraisal, for example, it may be possible to complete and send back your appraisal forms

• Ensure you have all relevant ‘brag file’ evidence and are clear as to how you can use this to support specific performance or professional competency objectives.

Future Focus

On average, an appraisal should last about 90 - 120 minutes. Companies sometimes separate out the performance appraisal from setting objectives and goals for the following year. Goal and objective setting is often combined with documenting training plans for the next year to help prevent the appraisal process becoming too lengthy. However, your continuing training and development are extremely important and you should ensure you set a date and time to discuss these with your manager. So even if you do not discuss future plans and objectives, be proactive and prepare some questions relating to your career and your future aspirations, such as wanting to take a certain course. This can then be noted and followed up at your next meeting.

Maximising the appraisal opportunity also means understanding the role of your line manager. They will usually have to conduct up to ten appraisals, which can be exhausting, so it is a good idea to be upbeat and positive to help them stay motivated! If you also demonstrate that you have come well prepared this will make life easier for both of you.

In conclusion, preparation is the key to a productive and painless appraisal. During the year, make sure you document your successes and achievements and support these where possible with hard evidence. Remember there should be no surprises and this is your best opportunity to ensure you sell yourself. GOOD LUCK!

Gillian Morgan is Talent Management Director at In2Focus SDS Ltd. She focuses on ensuring In2Focus teams deliver to high and consistent standards by implementing best practice across all the teams. Gillian also manages the Resourcing function, including the setting up of new projects. In2Focus is a leading UK based Contract Sales Organisation. We deliver sales solutions to our clients in the pharmaceutical industry by providing high calibre medical representatives and nurse advisors, and high quality support services. For more information, or to discuss career opportunities with the company, please contact In2Focus’ Resourcing Department on 01628 488606.

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The Big Issue

by Admin 1. November 2006 05:00

Have you read anything in Pf that you’d like to comment on? Why not air your views on our letter page? This month, Andy Beech responds to our recent articles on sales coaching.

Dear Pf,

I read with great interest the two articles about field sales coaching in last month’s Pf. Both focused on the manager/ representative relationship and how they should contract with each other for maximum mutual benefit. In his article “Sales Coaching,” Tim stated that “I can count the number of people I know who have a written agreement of this kind on the fingers of no hands.” Our experience at Chain Reactions leads us to suspect that most managers do not even have a verbal contract with their people. We have worked with managers from all over the world in many different industry sectors and a common theme is that many of them spend more time and energy coaching their poorer performers than their better performers. This practice is at odds with the evidence that suggests that the best returns for a manager’s coaching time and effort are greatest when they preferentially spend their time with their better people. Today’s pharma sales manager’s role is very demanding, busy, wide-ranging and varied, with plenty of alternative activities competing for the finite time available. Unless a manager is very disciplined with their time, it is usually field visits that get cancelled at the expense of a hastily called sales managers’ meeting. This can lessen the perceived value of field coaching time in the eyes of both the manager and the representative.

There is also a large variation in the span of control for sales managers across the industry. Some managers have just 4 representatives and some have more than 15. This is bound to affect the amount of time a manager can spend coaching their team. Coaching field visits should leave the representative feeling energised and inspired to strive for even greater performance. We know that there is a performance curve for field coaching skills for managers across the industry and if this is coupled with many of them being time-poor, then this means that there is an awful lot of discretionary effort just waiting to be unleashed.


Kind Regards,

Andy Beech
Chain Reactions


P.S. Chain Reactions has five copies of Win-Win Partnerships by Steve Stowell to give away to Pf readers. This book has the subtitle “Be on the Leading Edge with Synergistic Coaching” and contains details of the very practical 8 Skill Coaching Model. It will help anyone who has line manager responsibility or indeed anyone who coaches others for performance. All you have to do is email coaching@chainreactions.net with “Win-Win Partnerships” in the subject field, and we will choose 5 lucky readers at random on December 15th. We will then contact them to arrange delivery.



Do you have a similar experience? What do you make of this month’s Big Issue? Are you irked by something that affects you in your role? Go on, enjoy yourself, have an anonymous rant. It can be quite cathartic. Write to the Editor at chris.ross@healthpublishing.co.uk

 

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Career Insights

by Admin 1. November 2006 05:00

from Lucy Randle, STAR Medical

Toby Knoyle has worked with Abbott for a number of years, and has recently been promoted to Regional Business Manager. He spoke to Pf about his career progression to date and why he loves his new role.

How long have you worked for Abbott and what roles have you held?

I joined the Pharmaceutical Industry in September 1997 as a GP/Hospital Representative working Gwent & Bristol for Knoll. Following the Abbott acquisition in 2001, I moved into Head Office as a Product Manager and during my time in Marketing I was responsible for several key brands including Klaricid and Gopten. Other roles since being with Abbott have included Field Trainer and Hospital Specialist Representative.

How do you feel about opportunities for career progression within the company?

The opportunities for career progression within Abbott are excellent. There are a number of well-established succession development programmes, including one for those wishing to move into Regional Management. You first need to demonstrate that you have the required competencies through an assessment centre, and will then attend training sessions to equip you with the skills and knowledge for that particular role. Abbott is a multi-divisional company so opportunities arise frequently. You are encouraged to apply for vacancies in other divisions and I am a good example of this, having moved from our Pharmaceutical Products Group to Abbott Nutrition International.

What advice would you give to a representative hoping to gain promotion into sales management?

Moving from a representative’s role into sales management is a big jump! You need to discuss your aspirations with your own Regional Manager and gain experience of the role by working closely with them. Offer to help organise Regional Meetings, field coaching newer members of the team and presenting on Initial Training Courses – most Regional Managers would welcome the opportunity to delegate some of their workload. You could also assist at interviews and selection centres for new representatives wishing to join the company, or even look after the region when your Manager is on holiday. Don’t feel that moving straight into sales management is the only way; for example, the Field Trainer role provides an ideal steppingstone into your first sales management job.

What do you enjoy about your role?

Although I have been a Regional Business Manager for only a short time, there are already many aspects of the job that I enjoy. I love the variety of the job – one day I might be in Head Office discussing a new campaign concept with the Marketers or development programmes with the Training Department and the next, working with a member of my team on a field visit. This is the part of the job I enjoy most, as watching someone develop through field coaching is extremely rewarding. And being on a field visit allows me to meet customers – gaining instant feedback on our products and services, and ensuring that we meet their needs, is crucial for any business to succeed.

When looking for your next career move, you may decide to enlist the help of a recruitment agency. Lucy Randle advises on how to make the most of them.

 

Choose carefully

Choose an agency that specialises in recruitment for the pharmaceutical industry. Try to work with as few agencies as possible to avoid receiving calls about the same jobs from several agencies at a time. Look to advertising campaigns to get a measure of agencies’ profiles.

Give your CV an overhaul

Find out which consultant works in your region and email your CV to them with a brief paragraph regarding what you are looking for. Make sure you include your contact details. Arrange your CV carefully with bullet-points of your achievements in your most recent roles. Outline your sales vs. target, formulary inclusions, awards and any additional responsibilities you have taken on.

Help your consultant

Be willing to meet & build a rapport with your consultant. This will allow you to sell your strengths to the consultant and make sure they understand exactly what you are looking for. The better you can persuade them of your abilities, the better they can promote you to a potential employer.

Let your consultant help you

Your consultant sees countless CVs every day. They have spoken directly to your potential employer and are likely to know what they are looking for and what they have already rejected. Therefore, be willing to take their feedback on your CV and be ready to receive the interview tips they can offer.


TIP

The STAR team is constantly being exposed to useful and innovative ideas relating to aspects of employment and recruitment. This month’s top tip comes from Adam Collins.

Adam Collins, Recruitment Consultant for NE Thames and East Anglia

“Ensure you research the organisation before you go to an interview, and think about why you would like to work for them.”

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