13 Ways to Improve Surgical Center Efficiency Efficiency and organization are essential in any surgical center, whether in an ambulatory or hospital setting. Outlined below are several ways to improve efficiency at surgical centers, from upgrading technology, to utilizing the “cloud,” to streamlining workflows. 1. Send out surgery start times a day in advance: Help your physicians by sending out surgery start times the day before surgery via email or text. Most physicians have regular access to email through their smartphones and tablets—reminders can help them plan in advance and prevent the “I didn’t know” excuse. 2. Penalize late arrivals: Physicians who arrive late to surgery can hold up a surgical case (and all subsequent cases that day). To mitigate this problem, consider instituting a policy that penalizes staff for arriving late more than three times. Chronically late surgeons should soon correct their tardiness—if they don’t, additional action may be necessary. 3. Ask surgeons to do paperwork in advance: When charts are ready as soon as the physician walks into the surgery center, and patient consent forms are signed beforehand, the whole process flows more smoothly. Ask surgeons to prepare all of the necessary paperwork in advance of their arrival.
4. Get organized: Disorganization in any one area can cause delays that ripple through the facility. Surgical centers must run a tight ship. To achieve this: Get patient turnover down to a science Ensure that physicians and other medical staff arrive on time Implement an efficient patient check-in process Ensure that every staff member knows his/her responsibilities without having to consult someone constantly to complete their tasks
5. Gather patient information electronically in advance: Utilize a cloud-based system that enables patients to complete their medical history (including medication information and dosage), in advance of their surgery, at their convenience. Enabling patients to complete this information in advance will lead to more complete records. Conversely, collecting patient medical information over the phone when the patient could be driving or at work often leads to information omissions. Gathering a complete medical history in advance helps prevent having to cancel or reschedule surgery in cases where a patient has a medical issue that the surgery team was unaware of, for example. 6. Utilize a wireless call system: Designed for hospitals, ambulatory medical centers, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities, wireless nurse call systems are also ideal for surgical centers. These systems meld many patient technology systems into one centralized system to provide patient-focused care with superior facility management. Wireless nurse or emergency call systems work with iPads, pagers, wireless phones, and cell phones to transmit text messages and patient alarms. Staff can be sent a text message when calls are holding, when there is an emergency, or when a staff person is needed in a specific area. Wireless call systems can dramatically improve communication among staff members throughout a surgical center. 7. Hire an EHR Data Entry Scribe: The adoption of electronic health records (EHR) systems and the added data entry requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have increased the time physicians spend “clicking through� patient records and entering data. This takes away face-toface time with patients and has left many physicians frustrated and suffering burnout. Many practices have turned to EHR scribes, who provide real-time, in-parallel documentation as the physician works with patients. This frees doctors from the administrative burden of clicking through an EHR system, and has the added bonus of capturing activities and insights that might otherwise be lost when the EHR is filled out after the procedure. Companies like Scribe America train professional scribes to work in a variety of healthcare settings, from hospitals to outpatient clinics. 8. Use a patient tracking system: A real-time locating system (RTLS) records patient location and how long they spend in each area of the surgical center. These systems provide precise information about patient wait times and can help administrators identify trouble spots. Data can be pulled from reports to help streamline workflows and processes. The information can be viewed from satellite locations, giving managers and directors more control, and enabling them to call in additional staff when needed.
9. Use a float nurse to handle tasks between cases: Float nurses can be exceedingly helpful at speeding turnover time in surgery centers. Float nurses are adaptable and flexible, and they are quick learners, as the very nature of their work demands it. Float nurses frequently have to change assignments mid-shift for unexpected staffing needs elsewhere, so they’re typically quick on their feet. It’s an added expense, but a worthwhile one for many surgery centers. 10. Keep the surgery center well stocked: Use a supply sheet that lists all the supplies surgeons will need for their cases, and ensure those supplies are waiting for the surgeon when he or she arrives. This way, staff members won’t be scrambling to find the surgeon the needed supplies at the last minute. 11: Use an electronic scheduling system: An electronic system that utilizes the cloud to pull available appointment times can greatly streamline scheduling. Systems like ZocDoc allow patients to see doctors’ open appointment times and book available appointments instantly online. This frees up time for administrative staff that would otherwise be spent scheduling appointments over the phone. 12. Don’t keep patients waiting: It’s not hard to sympathize with the patient who has an 8:30 a.m. appointment and is still sitting in the waiting room at 9:15. To ensure patients aren’t left waiting, stay on top of staff, and pre-assign rooms, to ensure staff members know where to take patients. 13. Don’t ignore problems: If your staff members consistently report problems in certain areas, such as bottlenecks between the waiting room and pre-op, don’t ignore their reports. Listen to their suggestions for improvement—they are on the frontlines, and have a good understanding of why problems are happening and possible solutions. Technology continues to enhance efficiency and improve workflows and patient outcomes at medical facilities. While the costs and transition can seem overwhelming at first, the long-term benefits are worth the investment. When surgical centers and other medical facilities operate smoothly and efficiently, the result is greater employee satisfaction, lower turnover, and improved patient outcomes.