In brief

• Combining human expertise with data analytics can help locate hard-to-find, expensive inefficiencies in SPD and OR operations. 
• Insights from surgical instrument tracking technology can help lower labor costs and streamline surgical procedures.
   

In the era of modern healthcare, every operational nuance counts. That’s because running a hospital is expensive, and recent statistics show that facilities across the U.S. are experiencing an increase in expenses despite decreasing hospital revenue.¹ At the heart of these operations lie the sterile processing department (SPD) and operating room (OR), where even a minor inefficiency could result in significant revenue loss. This raises the question - how do health systems identify these inefficiencies? More importantly, once identified, how can they be rectified to stop invisible financial bleeds? 

The answer may lie in a two-pronged approach: human expertise and industry-specific technology, like surgical instrument tracking software.

Combining Human Expertise with Modern Technology 

Understanding the nuances of OR and SPD operations can help pinpoint the root cause of hidden financial drains. Sometimes, in-house leadership may not fully grasp these subtleties, often due to an absence of precise data insights that reveal what operational inefficiencies are causing revenue loss. 

For example, reprocessing costs can quickly accumulate when a facility cannot differentiate between necessary and unnecessary surgical instruments. One study of 24 health systems revealed a potential savings of $1.9M in reprocessing costs just by eliminating redundant instruments.² 

When leveraging robust surgical instrument tracking software, facilities can tap into actionable analytics that can drive these types of informed, cost-saving decisions. Partnering with experts in surgical asset management can further refine these data- driven insights, translating them into a tangible roadmap for fiscal optimization. Together, the fusion of technology and human expertise can become your foundation for operational excellence.

Aesculap and Ascendco Health’s Strategy To Help Curb Hospital Revenue Loss 

The combination of Aesculap’s sterile processing solutions and surgical asset management expertise along with Ascendco’s competency in aggregating hospital data and converting it into useful analytics creates substantial value for U.S. health systems in their quest to identify and reduce unnecessary costs that affect revenue objectives. Together, our tools can give you a real-time picture of the health of your instrument fleet. 

The outcomes are designed to: 

• Reduce unused instruments to make the most efficient tray possible. 
• Reduce labor and processing costs. 
• Save OR time. 
• Develop plans for containerizing instrument sets that provide the most ROI.

Enhancing Workflow Quality with Analytical Process 

In the pursuit of minimizing revenue loss in SPD and OR operations, Aesculap and Ascendco's innovative workflow management tools (part of our collaborative SQ.track™ Instrument Tracking Software) employ 'red screens' and 'yellow screens' as checkpoints within the process. 'red screens' prompt corrections when incorrect methods or parameters are used, while 'yellow screens' serve as warnings for missed scan points. Without them, there's a higher risk of process divergence, leading to inefficiencies, errors and potential revenue loss. 

As illustrated in the chart below, the analytics provide a visual representation of various workflow subprocesses. These metrics are vital in understanding where and how often process lapses occur, enabling the implementation of targeted corrective measures.

By leveraging these analytics, Aesculap and Ascendco enable health systems to enact process enforcements that help rectify current inefficiencies and establish a foundation for continual process improvement. 

Contact us today to learn more about how Aesculap and Ascendco Health can help your hospital minimize revenue loss through advanced data analytics and surgical instrument tracking.

_{References: 
¹Hospitals struggle with decreasing revenue and increasing expenses. MedicalEconomics. Published August 29, 2022. Accessed August 2, 2024. https://www.medicaleconomics.com/view/hospitals-struggle-with-decreasing-revenue- and-increasing-expenses 
²Aesculap, Inc. Data on File}