Many ASC misunderstandings are being increasingly cleared up by the migration of surgeries outpatient.
Three ASC leaders spoke with Becker's ASC Review about the biggest misconceptions they encounter about ASCs.
Question: What's the biggest misconception you encounter about ASCs?
Raghu Reddy. Executive administrator at SurgCenter of Western Maryland (Cumberland): The biggest misconceptions are that ASCs are mainly profit-driven, don't care about the patients or their health outcomes or do anything different to reduce healthcare spending. I'm happy to state that these misconceptions have changed over the years as the ASCs emerged as the primary drivers for outpatient surgery and the acuity of the cases performed is evolving by the day.
While the ASCs do put extra money in the investors' pocket, the outcomes are well-established with one of the best patient satisfaction and quality scores across the country. Our physicians brag about their autonomy, ASC's efficiencies in rendering care without the red tape or layers of decision-making that they otherwise may experience at a hospital and the positive feedback they receive from their patients. When it comes to the cost of care, there is much data to show the cost differential between ASCs and hospital outpatient departments, and how ASCs win big in all areas of outpatient surgery.
Matthew Solis. Administrator of Downtown Surgery Center (Orlando, Fla.): One of the biggest misconceptions I run into is the idea that financial aid given through the hospital is also available in the ASC. As administrator of the center, I try to assist the patient as much as possible, but in the end we have to be able to sustain the business in order to give the quality care expected by our patients.
Lance Ferguson, MD. Ophthalmologist at Commonwealth Eye Surgery (Lexington, Ky.): The previous misconception regarding reduced quality of care provided in ASCs compared to hospital outpatient departments has fortunately been dispelled with years of data.