In today’s healthcare value analysis world, the complexities and demands of each project seem to be growing bigger with each request. The puzzling issue for the VA team is how to navigate the big asks effectively. “How do you manage a complex value analysis study?” is the same challenge that comes with the age-old question: “How do you eat an entire elephant?” The answer to that question is quite a simple solution, but very insightful and will help us tackle the value analysis scenario as well — “One bite at a time…”
Managing value analysis studies requires structure, discipline, and a clear focus. A helpful anchor point to navigate these complex studies is to organize them with decisions that are both clinically sound and operationally responsible. Core elements to establish that framework can be quickly recognized and organized with five P’s: People, Process, Product, Purpose, and, most importantly, Patient. These five P’s are the start to the bites of the elephant. Let’s eat!
When these five foundational components are put into practice during a complex value analysis study, they help transform complexity into clarity and consistency. They also ensure the outcomes of the studies are meaningful and keep the patient at the center of the decisions.
People
How many times have you been asked, “Why wasn’t I involved?” or been told, “You should have asked me first”? The success of a complex value analysis study is very often based on the People involved. Selecting the right people for each scenario ensures decisions are shared and transparent, not siloed and secret. In value analysis studies, seats at the table should be filled with those that will help guide and decide, while keeping the heart of every decision focused on the patient.
Choosing the right mix of stakeholders ultimately comes down to the type of study or request. Key participants typically should include the value analysis team, clinicians, nursing, supply chain, finance, quality, infection prevention, and leadership who are active users or play critical roles in the potential changes evaluated during the studies. They should be chosen at the beginning rather than retroactively to help to define clear roles, foster early engagement, and maintain credibility throughout the study. When done well, this approach ultimately builds trust, encourages shared ownership, and creates lasting champions for the value analysis team during the study and beyond. Pick people purposefully.
Process
The second bite of your elephant is Process. Imagine a scribbled roadmap on wrinkled paper, with symbols and marks all over, multiple colors leading to nothing, and no defined destination. Now, compare that to a roadmap with a clear beginning and end, a defined direction, organized pathways and roads, and a legend that explains each symbol and color. The contrast between these two maps mirrors the difference between an unmanaged, unstructured, and inconsistent value analysis program and a well-designed, highly intuitive, structured value analysis process.
A standardized, transparent process provides structure needed to manage product requests, clinical reviews, financial analyses, trials, and many other pathways that the value analysis team frequently navigates. Effectively managing the process establishes clear, strategic steps throughout complex studies. Setting timelines, documenting decisions, and organizing workflows helps establish a consistent approach to these unknown roadblocks. Without structure, clarity, and shared understanding, even well‑intended efforts can become confusing, inefficient, and misaligned. Having a defined process provides direction, creates consistency, and ensures everyone involved understands not only where the study is going, but how decisions will be made along the way.
Product
Requested products continue to add to the complexities of the value analysis process. When thinking about Product, imagine it as the seasoning or sauce added to the elephant that we are eating. The seasoning doesn’t change the purpose of eating the entire elephant, in fact, the seasoning can either enhance the flavor and/or disrupt the entire experience.
Product selection in value analysis works the same way. When the right product aligns with the existing workflows, the balance is maintained and outcomes are successful. Where there is no alignment, even a well-intentioned product change can potentially disrupt the balance, increase variability, and upset clinical outcomes.
Effective product selection enhances the value analysis program and process and ensures that clinicians are supported and patient outcomes are improved. The goal of product selection is to bring balance, standardization, and reliability without changing the essence of the process “recipe”.
Purpose
Do you find yourself often asking, “Why are we doing this?” Purpose answers that most fundamental question — the why. You may already be asking yourself why we are eating this entire elephant. Without a clear purpose, teams can take small bites, pick a few people, follow processes, and decide between products, yet find themselves in a state of paralysis, where little gets accomplished and there is no end in sight. Eating an elephant without a reason quickly becomes exhausting and frustrating.
In value analysis, purpose defines the intent and provides context for each complex study. Whether that goal is to improve patient outcomes, address safety concerns, support clinicians, or focus on financial stewardship, purpose guides every decision along the way. When the questions arise and challenges come, purpose serves as the one true north and brings the group back to what matters most: the patient.
A clearly defined purpose keeps complex value analysis studies focused, aligned, and strategically driven towards the outcome. When the reason for eating the entire elephant is understood and shared, motivation increases, the decisions are intentional, and the workload feels less complex. Purpose doesn’t change the complexities of the value analysis study; it gives meaning to every step along the way.
Patient
No matter the complexity of the value analysis study, the Patient remains at the heart of all we do. The patient is the one that the entire elephant is ultimately meant to nourish. In the end, if the people you picked, or the process you followed, or the product you chose, even the purpose you had, if it doesn’t benefit the patient, the work has no value.
In value analysis, the patient isn’t just another piece of the puzzle, the patient is the reason our work exists. Every decision made to navigate these complex value analysis studies must be viewed through the lens of the patient. Keeping each discussion, each decision, and each process patient focused, help the value analysis team focus on what truly matters most.
Complex value analysis studies are purpose driven and more effective when the patient is at the center of focus. The elephant may be large and the work challenging, but when the patient benefits, every bite is worth taking.
Conclusion
In today’s healthcare world, value analysis teams must navigate the ever-changing demands, intricacies of requests, and the evolving organizational strategies. When asked the question, “How do you manage a complex value analysis study?” the answer does not have to reinvent the wheel. Instead, teams should shift focus to a practical and repeatable framework that helps navigate those complexities.
The elephant is on the plate now, fork and knife in hand, it’s time to take the first bite. The Five P’s — People, Process, Product, Purpose, and Patient serve as the bites and will help break down the challenges into manageable, intentional steps. Let’s start chewing!
Choose the right people, establish a clear and consistent process, evaluate the correct product, share a grounded purpose, and intentionally align all with the patient at the heart of it all. This will help move past the complexities of value analysis studies and drive meaningful change.
Article by:
Sarah Hobbs, MSN, RN, CCRN, CVAHP, LSSGB
Sarah is a clinical and operational leader with more than 20 years of experience across value analysis, critical care nursing, and evidence‑based practice. As CVAHP, CCRN, and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, she blends deep clinical expertise with data‑driven strategy to improve quality, reduce variation, and advance value‑based decision making.
After more than a decade in high‑acuity ICU, Sarah moved into value analysis leadership roles at University Medical Center and later to Lehigh Valley Health Network, leading systemwide evaluations, standardization efforts, and cost‑containment initiatives. She is known for translating clinical evidence into actionable insights and building strong partnerships with clinicians, supply chain teams, and executives.
Currently, Sarah serves as Clinical Program Director at Blue.Point Supply Chain Solutions, supporting healthcare organizations nationwide through utilization reviews, client onboarding, education, and new category development, with a continued focus on innovation and clinician engagement.
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