OPERATING ROOM


cally have changed globally, depending on the virus surge level. Patients with time-sensitive conditions may be prioritized over those considered elective, and others have been postponed altogether.”


Changes in business operations and care during the pan- demic have impeded scheduling and turnover, expresses Sefton.


Scheduling cases is more difficult now because so many


contingencies are subject to a quick change, whether from gov- ernment guidelines, hospital capacity, testing requirements, or patient issues,” she explained. “COVID-induced constraints and an increased emphasis on sterility and cleanliness are all causing breadowns in scheduling, flow, and turnover, increas- ing the hurdles for the OR desk.”


Managing clinician time is essential for enhancing schedul- ing, worflows and care.


Sefton points to Hospital IQ’s technology system to help provide real-time transparency in scheduling surgeries. “Surgeries will continue to rebound through 2021 but will


face COVID-related inpatient capacity challenges as many peri- operative departments are siloed from the inpatient units,” she indicated. “OR leaders lack visibility into real-time or future capacity as they move patients through the OR. Using AI, our solution prompts block-holders to release time they likely won’t need so other surgeons have adequate time to request that open time. This summer when elective cases again were permitted in New York, a customer of ours used this capability to turn a majority of their existing block schedule into open time, and then surgeons and perioperative leaders worked together to prioritize and schedule cases to work through their backlog of rescheduled cases.” Facilities must remain fleible in handling changes in sched- uling and care, according to Kanubaddi.


“The massive influx of COVID-19 patients has stressed normal operating procedures at hospitals, including elective procedures,” he stated. “While those procedures are down significantly year over year, hospitals are prioritizing proce- dure types to manage given the current shifting environment. Patient turnover also has been impacted notably, as COVID patients are sicker and take longer to recuperate in many instances.”


Kanubaddi highlights ReadySet Surgical’s technology to help manage device tracking, patient scheduling, and room turnover. Our first application, S Trac, has provided asset trac-


ing functionality around surgical trays and implants,” he explained. “Given extremely taxed supply chains, this vis- ibility has proven very effective in supporting scheduled procedures. Our RS Coordinate solution, which includes RS Track, provides automated advanced scheduling and vendor notification, which has helped improve scheduling efficiency and turnover. A leading Children’s Hospital increased notification lead time by 66.3 percent to 14.3 days and loaner tray arrival time by 500 percent to 48 hours before the case.” A new portal by CenTrak provides


automated management of inventory and care assignments. According to a CenTrak press release1 “CenTrak has announced the avail-


, ReadySet Surgical’s applications Page 24 22 February 2021 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS • hpnonline.com CenTrak’s OnDemandOrder portal


ability of OnDemandOrder, a centralized portal for managing requests for mobile medical equipment and other support ser- vices across the healthcare enterprise. The portal can be used as a standalone SaaS (software-as-a-service) solution or incor- porated into a more robust RTLS (real-time location system) that uses a combination of sensors and software to automate procurement when supplies run low.”


The company continued, “For clinicians, it offers a convenient tool for submitting requests for equipment and support. The ordering tool’s user interface is designed to mimic the online consumer shopping eperience and features configurable prod- uct categories, such as PPE (personal protective equipment) and environmental services. It allows staff to designate a level of urgency to each request and view the real-time status of their orders, which are automatically routed to delivery teams and prioritized for fulfillment. OnDemandOrder also automates regular work assignments related to inventory management, including PAR level replenishment and the retrieval of soiled equipment. Supply chain managers and other healthcare administrators can use the system’s backend to monitor PAR levels in real time and use its advanced reporting and analyt- ics capabilities to identify inefficient worflows or inventory utilization.” ReadySet Surgical’s technology additionally includes a


system for managing OR equipment and purchases, shares Kanubaddi. “Equipment shortages also have impacted care of COVID-19 patients, but supply availability has improved,” he noted. “Up to 85 percent of OR delays are equipment-related issues. RS


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