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20/20 IMAGING INSIGHTS SafeTEE Process Analysis Program = Proven Cost Savings
Matt Tomory
BY MATT TOMORY
W
hen it comes to imaging devices, little things go a long way. And not always in the right direction.
A little slip of the hands could cause trauma to a TEE probe, and according to years of data from first-hand experience and researching common failures, trauma is one of the leading reasons for costly repair services. In fact, many believe that “biting” is one of the primary causes of traumatic damage, yet research conducted by our Centers of Excellence show that poor transportation practices and poor set-up practices are a much higher cause. Additionally, the process of disinfecting a transducer with traumatic damage, such as a hole in the bending rubber or crack in the distal tip, is one of the primary causes of
irreparable catastrophic damage. Research also shows that many of the little things that lead to big repairs are easily avoidable by training staff in key processes for handling, cleaning and storing. Repairs and replacements can add up fast. Consider the following typical costs you could incur: • Exchange through an OEM may range from $12,000 to $50,000 • Exchange through the third-party market may range from $5,000 to $40,000 • Cost of repair may range from less than $500 to about $10,000 By implementing the SafeTEE Process Analysis Program, facilities of all sizes can drastically reduce their cost of operations and ownership for TEE and other types of probes. For example, our clinical experts pioneered TEE care and handling
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assessments as a means to assist customers with failure prevention.
Annual TEE probe failure rate from Innovatus pilot customer. Our pilot customer “owned 10-TEE transducers, yet experienced 28 catastrophic failures stemming from trauma and gross fluid invasion in a single year.” By modifying key steps in cross-functional processes, this customer achieved the following results: • 50% failure rate reduction in year 1 • Additional 31% failure rate reduction in year 2 • Translated into a 44% cost reduction for a 3-year trend • Resulted in increased customer satisfaction
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