Hospital PMI® at 58.5%; November 2024 Hospital ISM® Report On Business®

TEMPE, Ariz., Dec. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Economic activity in the hospital subsector grew in November for the 15th consecutive month after contracting twice in the previous four-month period, with 35 consecutive months of growth prior to that, say the nation’s hospital supply executives in the latest Hospital ISM^® Report On Business^®.

The report was issued today by Nancy LeMaster, MBA, Chair of the Institute for Supply Management^® (ISM^®) Hospital Business Survey Committee: “The Hospital PMI^® registered 58.5 percent in November, a 6.6-percentage point increase from the October reading of 51.9 percent, indicating a 15th consecutive month of growth. The Business Activity Index moved back into expansion territory after contracting in October for the first time in 15 months. The New Orders Index returned to expansion after contracting in the previous month, and the Employment Index was ‘unchanged’ in November. The Supplier Deliveries Index remained in expansion (which indicates slower delivery performance) for the 15th consecutive month. The Case Mix Index was ‘unchanged’ in November, registering 50 percent, a decrease of 2 percentage points from the previous month’s figure of 52 percent. The Days Payable Outstanding Index returned to expansion in November, registering 54 percent, up 8.5 percentage points from the 45.5 percent reported in October. The Technology Spend Index reading of 59 percent is a decrease of 2 percentage points compared to the 61 percent recorded in October. The Touchless Orders Index remained in expansion territory in November, registering 51 percent, up 0.5 percentage point from the 50.5 percent reported in October.”

LeMaster continues, “Hospital Business Survey panelists indicated their facilities continued to struggle with IV fluid shortages, which caused some elective surgeries to be rescheduled. However, the situation was not as bad as it was in October. Conservation efforts and an increase in imported fluids, along with strong seasonal hospital demand, resulted in a volume rebound for most organizations. Panelists indicated that supplier deliveries were slower and attributed that to weather issues and backlogs from the East Coast ports strike. They also commented on an increase in product allocations and substitutions. The increase in patient volumes resulted in a slight increase in the Employment Index. Several panelists mentioned their organizations were undergoing full-time employee reduction initiatives to improve margins. Strong volumes are anticipated through year’s end.”

About This Report
The information compiled in this report is for the month of November 2024.

The Hospital PMI^® was developed in collaboration with the Association for Health Care Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM), an association for the health care supply chain profession, and a professional membership group of the American Hospital Association (AHA).

The data presented herein is obtained from a survey of hospital supply executives based on information they have collected within their respective organizations. ISM^® makes no representation, other than that stated within this release, regarding the individual company data collection procedures. The data should be compared to all other economic data sources when used in decision-making.

Data and Method of Presentation
The Hospital ISM^® Report On Business^® is based on data compiled from hospital purchasing and supply executives nationwide. Survey responses reflect the change, if any, in the current month compared to the previous month. For each of the indicators measured (Business Activity, New Orders, Employment, Supplier Deliveries, Inventories, Prices, Prices: Pharmaceuticals, Prices: Supplies, Backlog of Orders, Imports, Inventory Sentiment, Case Mix, Days Payable Outstanding, Technology Spend, and Touchless Orders), this report shows the percentage reporting each response and the diffusion index. Responses represent raw data and are never changed. Beginning in January 2021, the Report On Business^® staff and consultants are gathering market information to better validate the Exports Index. Exports Index data are still being collected.

The Hospital PMI^® is a composite index computed from the following, equally weighted indexes: Business Activity, New Orders, Employment and Supplier Deliveries. Diffusion indexes have the properties of leading indicators and are convenient summary measures showing the prevailing direction of change and the scope of change. A Hospital PMI^® index reading above 50 percent indicates that the hospital sub-sector is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally declining. For the sub-indexes, except Supplier Deliveries, an index reading above 50 percent indicates that the sub-index is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally contracting. A Supplier Deliveries Index above 50 percent indicates slower deliveries and below 50 percent indicates faster deliveries.

The Hospital ISM^® Report On Business^® survey is sent out to the Hospital Business Survey Panel respondents the first part of each month. Respondents are asked to ONLY report on U.S. operations for the current month. ISM^® receives survey responses throughout most of any given month, with the majority of respondents generally waiting until late in the month to submit responses to give the most accurate picture of current business activity. ISM^® then compiles the report for release on the fifth business day of the following month.

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About Institute for Supply Management^®
Institute for Supply Management^® (ISM^®) is the first and leading not-for-profit professional supply management organization worldwide. Its community of more than 50,000 in more than 100 countries manages about US$1 trillion in corporate and government supply chain procurement annually. Founded in 1915 by practitioners, ISM is committed to advancing the practice of supply management to drive value and competitive advantage for its members, contributing to a prosperous and sustainable world. ISM empowers and leads the profession through the ISM^® Report On Business^®, its highly regarded certification and training programs, corporate services, events, and assessments. The ISM^® Report On Business^®, Manufacturing, Services, and Hospital, are three of the most reliable economic indicators available, providing guidance to supply management professionals, economists, analysts, and government and business leaders. For more information, please visit: www.ismworld.org.

The text version of the public Hospital ISM^® Report On Business^® is posted on ISM^®‘s website at www.ismrob.org on the fifth business day* of every month at 10:00 a.m. ET.

The next Hospital ISM^® Report On Business^® featuring December 2024 data will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, January 9, 2025.

*Unless the New York Stock Exchange is closed.

SOURCE Institute for Supply Management