Here are 14 findings — clinical and non-clinical — from two AAAHC Institute for Quality Improvement 2010 studies on cataract extraction with lens insertion. Seventy-eight organizations participated in a clinical study while 20 organizations participated in a non-clinical study of cataract surgery.
Procedure times
1. The median pre-procedure time (defined as patient check-in to start of the procedure) was 80 minutes overall (range 29-144 minutes). Practices followed by the organizations with the lowest pre-procedure times included additional staffing and standardized charting.
2. The median discharge time (defined as end of the procedure until patient meets discharge criteria) was 24 minutes (range 3-47). Organizations with the shortest discharge times attributed their results to practices such as cross-training staff and standardizing instructions and paperwork.
Patient outcomes
3. 96 percent of patients were able to schedule their procedures as soon as they wanted.
4. 99 percent said they were comfortable before the procedure and after discharge.
5. 95 percent reported their vision was better post-surgery.
6. 96 percent returned to activities of daily living within one week of the procedure.
7. 99 percent would recommend the procedure to friends or relatives with cataracts.
Supplies, staffing and costs (non-clinical findings)
8. All but two organizations standardize their cataract surgery supplies.
9. 75 percent are members of purchasing groups.
10. Overall costs per procedure range from $74 to $1,215, with a median of $303.50.
11. 90 percent have information technology systems, primarily for billing (89 percent) and scheduling (89 percent).
12. 22 percent have electronic medical records.
13. Organizations with the lowest staffing costs attributed their success to a variety of factors, including cross training staff and pre-procedure preparation.
14. Organizations with the lowest billing costs/collection times also cited a number of factors, including using online services, automated statements and patient education.
To learn more about these studies and other ambulatory healthcare reports from the AAAHC Institute, visit www.aaahciqi.org.
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