ASCs offer several benefits compared to that of traditional hospital settings, however, there are several perks touching various aspects of care that patients, clinicians and health systems alike may not be aware of.
Becker's connected with Beth LaBouyer, RN, executive director at the California Ambulatory Surgery Association, to get insight on some lesser-discussed ways health systems can benefit from ASCs.
Editor's note: Response has been edited lightly for length and clarity.
Question: What unique advantages do ASCs offer compared to traditional hospital settings, and how do these benefits impact patient outcomes and satisfaction?
Beth LaBouyer: ASCs provide an efficient and specialized environment for surgery that allows patients to recover faster and more comfortably. Because ASCs focus only on certain surgical procedures, their team of doctors and nurses are able to deliver high-quality outcomes for patients.
Traditional hospital settings must cover a huge spectrum of patient needs, and that requires significant costs to maintain staffing, equipment, treatments, and resources for any circumstance in any minute. Scheduled surgical patients are often delayed as the hospital must accommodate emergency situations. In contrast, ASCs focus on a select set of procedures and then optimize their center to provide the most qualified and appropriate resources to meet those needs. This all results in ASC patients getting care from the experts in their particular surgery, at a lower cost than in hospitals, and often in a more timely manner.
