Ann Deters, founder and CEO of cataract outsourcing company Vantage Outsourcing, discusses five essential facts surgery centers should know about outsourcing cataract services.
1. Proper case scheduling maximizes efficiency. Convenience is oftentimes the enemy of efficiency. For example, a physician whose office is located next to the surgery center may schedule one or two cases daily versus 5-10 once a week. Cataracts are a non-emergent type of procedure. Therefore, by scheduling as many cases as possible on one day, a center will lower costs, as well as free up available OR time for other surgical specialties.
"If you can work with your surgeons to schedule their cases consecutively, you can truly maximize your facility and staff efficiencies. We recommend a minimum of five cases per surgical day," Ms. Deters says. Her company often assists its clients by providing cataract outsourcing services to one facility in the morning and then servicing a second facility in the afternoon.
2. Even low volume facilities can save money on supplies. Outsourced cataract surgery does not only benefit high-volume ophthalmic centers, Ms. Deters says. Both high- and low-volume centers can reduce their equipment and medical supply costs by utilizing cataract outsourcing services. Smaller centers in particular can benefit by not having to purchase, store and manage cumbersome equipment, procedure packs and large IOL consignments associated with cataract cases.
"For facilities performing eye cases only once or twice a month, it really doesn't pay to have all this equipment and inventory sitting idle and taking up valuable floor/shelf space," Ms. Deters says.
3. All equipment, "just in time" supplies and trained staff are provided. Outsourcing provides surgery centers with equipment, disposables and IOLS, as needed, for each scheduled surgery day. Cataract outsourcing companies assist with cataract procedures by delivering all the necessary ophthalmic equipment and supplies. This includes phacoemulsification equipment, microscopes, IOLs, procedure packs and all other ophthalmic supplies that are required. Equipment is packaged according to each particular surgeon's specifications.
Cataract outsourcing companies can also assist the ASC by providing a trained surgical technician. Outsourcing companies provide trained staff to coordinate and ensure the surgeon's day will run as smoothly as possible. The company's technician becomes part of the ASC's surgical team and creates a sense of additional ophthalmic expertise, utilized by both surgeon and staff. "[Our team] will arrive the day before schedule cases to setup equipment, coordinate inventory and do a final check to ensure a successful eye day," says Ms. Deters.
4. Need to open a second OR? Some surgery centers own their own equipment but use outsourcing services to equip a second OR. This increases the center's efficiency and profitability by allowing the surgeon to move from room to room quickly, thus providing efficient patient care without having the capital outlay.
5. Outsourcing can offer valuable insight into established ASC processes. Since outsourcing companies service a variety of facilities and witness a multitude of processes and policies, they have the unique ability of sharing "best practices" with client facilities. For example, an outsourcing company can point out staffing inefficiencies that lose the center money. "Many times centers make the expensive mistake of overstaffing," Ms. Deters says. "If you are using an outsourcing company to monitor equipment and facilitate room turnover, it is more than likely that you don't need more than three other staff to assist the surgeon, whether you're doing five or 50 case in a given day."
Another area of improvement an ASC might experience with outsourcing its cataract surgery is in room turnover. Ms. Deters says her team begins turnover as soon as the physician leaves the room and doesn't stop until everything is in proper order for the next case.
Learn more about Vantage Outsourcing at www.vantageoutsourcing.com.
Related Articles on Cataract Surgery:
Improving Cataract Surgeon Efficiency When Choosing IOLs
The LenSx Femtosecond Laser for Cataract Surgery
Drug Improves Sight for Patients With Inherited Blindness
1. Proper case scheduling maximizes efficiency. Convenience is oftentimes the enemy of efficiency. For example, a physician whose office is located next to the surgery center may schedule one or two cases daily versus 5-10 once a week. Cataracts are a non-emergent type of procedure. Therefore, by scheduling as many cases as possible on one day, a center will lower costs, as well as free up available OR time for other surgical specialties.
"If you can work with your surgeons to schedule their cases consecutively, you can truly maximize your facility and staff efficiencies. We recommend a minimum of five cases per surgical day," Ms. Deters says. Her company often assists its clients by providing cataract outsourcing services to one facility in the morning and then servicing a second facility in the afternoon.
2. Even low volume facilities can save money on supplies. Outsourced cataract surgery does not only benefit high-volume ophthalmic centers, Ms. Deters says. Both high- and low-volume centers can reduce their equipment and medical supply costs by utilizing cataract outsourcing services. Smaller centers in particular can benefit by not having to purchase, store and manage cumbersome equipment, procedure packs and large IOL consignments associated with cataract cases.
"For facilities performing eye cases only once or twice a month, it really doesn't pay to have all this equipment and inventory sitting idle and taking up valuable floor/shelf space," Ms. Deters says.
3. All equipment, "just in time" supplies and trained staff are provided. Outsourcing provides surgery centers with equipment, disposables and IOLS, as needed, for each scheduled surgery day. Cataract outsourcing companies assist with cataract procedures by delivering all the necessary ophthalmic equipment and supplies. This includes phacoemulsification equipment, microscopes, IOLs, procedure packs and all other ophthalmic supplies that are required. Equipment is packaged according to each particular surgeon's specifications.
Cataract outsourcing companies can also assist the ASC by providing a trained surgical technician. Outsourcing companies provide trained staff to coordinate and ensure the surgeon's day will run as smoothly as possible. The company's technician becomes part of the ASC's surgical team and creates a sense of additional ophthalmic expertise, utilized by both surgeon and staff. "[Our team] will arrive the day before schedule cases to setup equipment, coordinate inventory and do a final check to ensure a successful eye day," says Ms. Deters.
4. Need to open a second OR? Some surgery centers own their own equipment but use outsourcing services to equip a second OR. This increases the center's efficiency and profitability by allowing the surgeon to move from room to room quickly, thus providing efficient patient care without having the capital outlay.
5. Outsourcing can offer valuable insight into established ASC processes. Since outsourcing companies service a variety of facilities and witness a multitude of processes and policies, they have the unique ability of sharing "best practices" with client facilities. For example, an outsourcing company can point out staffing inefficiencies that lose the center money. "Many times centers make the expensive mistake of overstaffing," Ms. Deters says. "If you are using an outsourcing company to monitor equipment and facilitate room turnover, it is more than likely that you don't need more than three other staff to assist the surgeon, whether you're doing five or 50 case in a given day."
Another area of improvement an ASC might experience with outsourcing its cataract surgery is in room turnover. Ms. Deters says her team begins turnover as soon as the physician leaves the room and doesn't stop until everything is in proper order for the next case.
Learn more about Vantage Outsourcing at www.vantageoutsourcing.com.
Related Articles on Cataract Surgery:
Improving Cataract Surgeon Efficiency When Choosing IOLs
The LenSx Femtosecond Laser for Cataract Surgery
Drug Improves Sight for Patients With Inherited Blindness