PRODUCT & SERVICE LINE REPORTS


system that is not able to define equipment very well, causing conicts to arise on the day of surgery with equipment double booked or unlocatable. Sometimes these mishaps are caused by human error, but that may mean the system is not user friendly enough.


What else is important?  A system that increases the reliability of accurate scheduling  Electronic scheduling to eliminate paper processes that are prone to additional errors


 Having a system that not only provides reports, but enables users to look deeper into the data beyond the reports to identify the issues behind the data report


 Seamless connectivity with other systems billing system, charge data master, EHR, and materials management supply chain item master. This will allow for accurate clinical, sup- ply and charge documentation, as well as ensure the right products will be at the right place at the right time


 etworking between all systems will also provide improved tracking of supply and implant utilization, cost-per-case actual and proections, revenue proections and provide improved budgetary planning. Technology is only as good as the policies and procedures


put in place for the system, so organizations will need to ensure the strength of those policies and procedures. In addition, they should consider how much support and intelligence they are going to receive from the scheduling system company. Finally, with the staffing shortage, organizations need to


look at staff retention and satisfaction. Redundancy in work is a maor frustration for staff, so the system needs to be useful for them as well. eadership oftentimes makes these types of decisions, but staff need to be involved in the review of system and have input into the final decision-making.


How much sense does it make to invest in a surgical sched- uling system with built-in capabilities to interface/integrate with the billing system and charge data master, EHR/EMR system and supply chain’s item master as well as mobile devices – all securely – and why? RECHIN: The one reality everyone can count on with the OR


schedule is that it changes. If the system cannot interface with the EHRER system, it is virtually impossible to provide communication on scheduled case changes or updates. Some systems, such as ReadySet Surgical, works withinterfaces with the hospital scheduling system to ensure that all updates and communications occur in real-time. Hospitals should consider scheduling systems that can cre-


ate end-to-end value meaning from the moment the case is scheduled, until the moment the case is completed, billed and the loaned inventory has been picked up from the hospital. To invest in a scheduling system that can only provide daily updates on planned inventory misses the point. It is not only important to interface with the hospital’s EHR


ER system, but also the hospital’s ERP. This provides a com- plete and seamless flow of information without the need for human intervention on the hospital side. ReadySet Surgical (RSS), as an example, provides a comprehensive management system which interfaces with the hospital’s ERP, the EHR ER system and supply chain’s item master, so they not only can provide real-time alerts on schedule changes, but they also


can track vendor delivery performance, alert supply chain and OR leadership to any plannedrequested off-contract inven- tory requests, verify the submitted charge sheet’s pricing is accurate, and if it is not, update it to the contracted rate, etc. Accessibility is critically important to the success of the


scheduling system. ReadySet Surgical’s system is easily acces- sible thru any hand-held device, the ReadySet Surgical app, or via the webthe user’s laptop. Scheduling systems need to be able to provide benefit for all users, not ust the hospital, so a system that cannot allow a vendor rep to check in inventory without being on-site, creates a lot of inefficiency. ReadySet’s system allows a rep to check in their onsite inventory with the touch of a button, on their mobile device, saving valuable time and money. SANYAL: It makes no sense to invest in a surgical sched-


uling system’ above and beyond the EHR. ut it makes all the sense in the world to invest in a surgery schedule opti- mization system.’ It is important to make a clear distinction between scheduling and optimization. Scheduling is the act of putting down a specific appointment onto a calendar, regard- less of whether the calendar is on paper, on a spreadsheet, or on an online calendar of some sort. Optimization is the underlying intelligence that determines the best option for scheduling a particular type of appointment or allocating a specific type of asset based on the sophisticated consideration of dozens of factors that influence both the supply side as well as the demand side of that decision. Technology that embeds optimization into online sched-


uling tools is ubiquitous in today’s sophisticated business environment, where profitability depends upon executing a high volume of transactions while maintaining a high level of asset utilization. A good analog would be if you open an account on Charles Schwab. Sure, you can trade stock and bonds, but you don’t get any real guidance on how best to allocate your portfolio to maximize returns given your level of risk. Similarly, EHRs in themselves give you the ability to schedule cases and bill for them. However, that is nearly not enough to actually maximize utilization of block, staffed rooms and prime time. There are a few fundamental issues EHRs do not address  Predicting which blocks will not be well used way before day of surgery and nudging clinics to release that time. eanwhile the way blocks are allocated leads to a culture of scarcity’ with there being no incentives to release time early even when block owners know they won’t be using the time. This leads to a situation where surgeons can find a table for  on OpenTable for dinner a lot easier than finding time in the OR.


 etrics like lock Utilization’ that are used to right-size blocks are fundamentally, mathematically broken and lead to bad decisions and ones surgeons can find all kinds of issues with.


 Reporting and data are often not believednot shared as broadly as is needed to create a culture of transparency and accountability.


 any community clinics don’t have access to the EHR and end up capturing their backlog on paper and sending case information by fax and phone.


 The right time to invest in new equipment like robots. Are the current set of robots actually being used to mostly do robotic cases These are some of the issues that scheduling optimization systems, like iueue for Operating Rooms, solve.


hpnonline.com • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS • January 2022 43


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