Collective purchase model for medical products

Abstract

A procurement method for the collective purchase of products, including medical products such as cardiology implant devices, for use by members of a consortium. The members of the consortium can be physicians such as cardiologists. An advisory panel composed of consortium members first reviews available products in a relevant product category and identifies three or more suppliers for further consideration. Following solicitation of bids from these suppliers, one or two suppliers are selected as preferred suppliers for the product category. Each consortium member's supply requirements are purchased from the preferred supplier by the consortium's purchasing agent, or by the end user (such as a hospital). Groups of multiple consortiums, each of which handles purchasing of products in a different geographic location or a different medical specialty, are also described.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.