Structural Review of Theories in Healthcare Supply Chain Management

Healthcare has a profound impact on public welfare and on our quality of life, however long term affordability has been in doubt due to rapidly rising healthcare costs across the world. One alternative to cope with these healthcare challenges is to adapt advancements in supply chain management to healthcare supply chains, leading to improved efficiencies, enhanced customer service, removing barriers and greater harmonization among healthcare players potentially reducing costs while saving lives. Within the emerging research field of healthcare supply chain management (HCSCM) the use of existing theoretical concepts and frameworks to provide explanations and understanding of the phenomena under scrutiny is not yet well understood. The purpose of this paper is to deepen the understanding of HCSCM from a theoretical point of view by identifying and evaluating the use of theories in HCSCM literature. A systematic literature review is conducted in top supply chain management and healthcare journals. This paper provides a structured review of the use of theories in recent literature within the field of HCSCM (divided into theoretical contribution and practical application) and this paper identifies the disciplines where HCSCM researchers have successfully borrowed theories from.