Can Procurement Innovation Improve the Health of Canadian Health Care? | Knowledge

Improving healthcare through competitive procurement policies is part II of three reports published as part of the Bureau of Competition’s digital healthcare market research. The purpose of the study is to encourage Canadian policy makers to explore how public procurement policies can better foster competition and innovation in order to improve access to choice and digital health services offered in the healthcare system across Canada. It was to ask to do.

The Department has identified six barriers that may discourage companies from entering Canada’s healthcare system and prevent Canadians from receiving the best healthcare solutions.

1. Canada’s healthcare system is complex. The healthcare system is divided into multiple jurisdictions, each with different priorities, regulators and governing laws. This can be a navigational barrier for companies looking for opportunities.
2. Procurement requirements are not clear. Overly stringent or poorly explained requirements can result in erroneous removal of potential bidders from the bid pool.
3. Price as top priority. Focusing on the lowest price does not provide long-term value for a comprehensive healthcare solution.
4. dangerous adversity. A culture of risk aversion can lead buyers to avoid new and innovative solutions in favor of older, well-known solutions.
5. A drawn out procurement cycle in a fast-moving system. Technological development in healthcare is very fast. Products and services can become obsolete before the procurement process is completed.
6. Overly prescriptive policies. Rigid and prescriptive policies can reduce competitive innovation.

The Secretariat provided the following recommendations:

1. Establish a national center of innovation expertise in public procurement to:

• Plan the implementation of Canadian Innovation Procurement.
• Provide common direction by providing education, direction and resources to public procurers.When
• Increase awareness of national and international innovations and best practices in procurement.

1. Remove barriers that weaken or hinder competition by ensuring procurement entities:

• Engage and understand the vendor community.
• Consider the long-term impact of your product or service, not just the initial cost.
• Consider the potential impact of future technologies on current and future needs.When
• Allow buyers to move from one vendor to another if necessary.

1. We support innovation-friendly procurement processes to ensure:

• The specifications are designed to encourage innovative solutions and enable these products to compete with better known solutions.
• Small businesses will be better able to participate in the public procurement process.When
• Price is not the only criterion for awards.