CS CONNECTION
procedures due to instrumentation not being readily available, which in turn is a major loss of revenue for the hospital and or facility.”
Tray turnaround time There are several key met- rics critical in understand- ing department efficiency, explains Ross Polston, National Manager of Plan- ning & Design, Belimed. “Tray turnaround time
items over time, it does not accurately rep- resent the work performed.”
Other departments track the number of instruments processed, but the problem with this approach is that not all instru- ments processed are recorded in the instru- ment tracking system, as Agoston explains: “For instance, loaner instruments are often
Ross Polston
(arrival to CS/SPD through process to sterile storage) is arguably the most impor- tant data point to assist with instrument inventory planning and case scheduling,” he stated. “Scan stations and use of an instrument tracking system are critical for understanding this metric. Most depart- ments without instrument tracking rely heavily on case delays, add-ons, and other statistics to measure efficiency. Brigance describes the ability to time stamp each scanning point in the process through T-DOC, an instrument tracking system that generates data and reports for efficiency monitoring and measurement. “Reports can show where the bottlenecks might be and therefore issues can be addressed and hopefully resolved,” he explained. In addition to efficiency, uality can also be tracked as many facilities will document any issues with the sets that may have happened either in SPD or after use in the OR,” he added.
“SPDs are constantly striving towards a more efficient department, said olston. “Departments are now more than ever focusing on metrics (KPIs – key perfor- mance indicators) to help understand current performance and opportunities for improvement. These metrics are compiled using processing volumes and processing times calculated by analyzing scan times for instrument sets throughout the process (arrival to SPD all the way through sterile storage). Instrument tracking systems are critical for obtaining accurate date to pro- vide these metrics.”
Number of items sterilized
Agoston points to the number of items sterilized as another metric CS/SPDs use to track efficiency. ut he says the downside of this approach is the variation in how items are counted.
“Some track items sterilized, but the chal- lenge is that each set or peel pouched item counts as one,” said Agoston. “Some sets can contain over 100 instruments. A peel pouch contains one instrument. Both are counted as one. While there may be some benefit to watching the count of sterilized
Power of data usage Data on D efficiency alone is worth- less,” according to Ramos. True value is derived when teams integrate data from instrument tracking and OR scheduling systems and use it to effectively manage workow. “Using the correct algorithm, we can forecast staffing, capacity and many other measurable components to optimize and synchronize Sterile Processing and Surgery operations,” he commented. “We have
delivered for Ortho/ Neuro/ Spine surgery without a count sheet. Most hospitals track these sets as a count of one, when in fact many of these sets contain 30 to 100 instru- ments or more. In a hospital with heavy volume of Ortho/Neuro/ Spine procedures, measuring instrument processed will not be representative of the work performed.”
Connecting time to volume
Kimsey notes how he has seen “good improvements” over the years in CS/ SPDs becoming more adept at measuring efficiency. He explains how instrument tracking systems have enabled departments to calculate efficiency in terms of time to volume, which is a much more accurate measurement compared with other metrics. “While historically tray volumes were
reported as ‘productivity’ or ‘efficiency’ metrics without a correlation to labor spent, today instrument tracking systems provide data that enables CS/SPDs to correlate time to volume and thus create true efficiency calculations,” he stated. In the end, some departments final efficiency calculations come from their finance department, in terms of hours worked per item processed, while other departments focus on internal processes, such as trays assembled per hour per technician.”
Kimsey says most hospitals have made the investment in instrument tracking systems over the last 20 years, which has helped efficiencies tremendously. e adds that the adoption of lean methodologies, such as visual management, 5S, standard work and leadership routines have also been “most useful and impactful.” “CS/SPDs are realizing the more they
standardize their operations and provide tools to their technicians, the more efficient they are,” he added.
seen more and more SPD leaders access data from multiple systems to help them drive efficiency and create a more seamless approach to an effective workow. Aesculap powered by Ascendco recently introduced a solution to the U.S. market to address this need. The companies align Aes- culap Surgical Asset Management expertise and solutions with Ascendco aggregate data and provide healthcare systems with a workow based on that data.
Factors that boost efficiency Once a CS/SPD determines how it will define efficiency, the next step is putting into place a plan to streamline operations while maintaining, or even improving, uality and safety. In many cases it comes down to a combination of people, processes and technology.
OR collaboration and integration The workows of the D and are directly linked – with the OR’s procedures dictating which instruments and trays must be available for use on any given day. Therefore, it is critical that CS/SPD and OR teams closely collaborate and communicate on reuirements and expectations. Interfacing the CS/SPD instrument tracking system with the OR scheduling system is one way to improve coordination between the two departments, explains Brigance.
“When these tracking systems are inter- faced with an OR scheduling system, the SPD staff knows exactly what instrument sets are needed for upcoming cases and what still needs to be picked and deliv- ered. Furthermore, T-DOC sterile supply management solution can automatically prioritize instrument sets based on avail- ability giving the SPD staff a clear picture of what sets need attention first.
CS/SPD staff education
CS/SPD staff shortages related to the pandemic have forced many departments to hire new and inexperienced technicians, which puts greater strain on department efficiency. As a result, there has been increased demand for STERIS education offerings across the country, according to Kimsey. To help with education efforts, the company has launched a new IFU software that “provides our employees the information they need when they need it,” he added.
“The software focuses on decontamination and provides IFU-based information to the technician at the sink,” he said. “Similar to a fast-food order entry screen showing the orders in process and time elapsed, the software provides step-by-step guidance to
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