The OR cannot function properly without an effective sterile processing department (SPD). Much of the attention devoted to SPDs is reactive and negative: delays, turnover, and errors tend to be the focus. However, the reality is that proactive attention to the SPD can actually boost revenue while reducing risk. Consistent, quality training, collaboration with the OR, safety culture, error tracking, and incentives for high performance can sufficiently optimize the SPD — and in turn, optimize the OR.
Costs of Neglecting the SPD
A lack of positive focus on the SPD translates into neglect. Without fostering inter-departmental communication, supporting training initiatives, and implementing best practices, the SPD is bound to suffer, and it will show up in dollar amounts. In extreme cases, it can show up in actual incidents of patient harm.
When hospital leaders recognize how expensive and risk-laden it is to neglect the SPD, they can start to understand how its optimization is not only cost-effective but transformative for the OR, staff morale, and patient outcomes.
For instance, a study in BMC Surgery focused on the costs of SPD errors related to the performance of pediatric ORs. Seven pediatric ORs were observed over a few months, during which 236 errors were observed; these errors affected 147 surgical cases. Though the average delay time resulting from these errors was just 10 minutes, the resulting loss of billable OR time added up to a remarkable sum. The study reports, “The annual lost charges in dollars for surgical instrument associated delays in chargeable minutes was estimated to be between $6,751,058.06 and $9,421,590.11.”
The prospect of losing between $6 to $9 million dollars (over just a few months time) due to preventable errors in the SPD may be eye-opening, but it’s just the beginning when it comes to truly examining the SPD’s effect on the OR.
Hard Costs vs. Soft Costs
Hard costs of SPD errors include time loss related to fixing errors such as incomplete or incorrect instrument sets or improper sterilization. But soft costs often prove to be much more damaging. They include the legal costs of malpractice suits (for errors that resulted in patient harm), customer satisfaction, and staff morale (which, if poor, can lead to more errors or turnover). SpecialtyCare partnered with the Wolverine Consulting Group to track and quantify SPD errors at a single hospital over the course of a year. While the hard costs added up to nearly $705,000, the soft costs amounted to $1.5 million annually.
According to the BMC Surgery study, most errors (88.6%) come from issues with inspecting, identifying, or assessing the function of instruments or instrument sets. Today’s SPDs are processing an increasing volume of instruments, and many instruments are becoming more complex due to innovations in the OR. When SPDs are trying to meet these demands without proper training and support, they are virtually set up to fail.
The OR is not an island, and it works hand in hand with the SPD. Without intentional, regular, and leader-driven departmental collaboration, it can be easy for this relationship to become tense or even antagonistic. But revenue and patient outcomes depend on its harmony.
Let Us Help You Optimize Your SPD
At SpecialtyCare, we use Six Sigma principles to organize and optimize your SPD in a way where techs are supported and empowered to do their work accurately and efficiently. We can place talented SPD techs at your hospital, set up best-practice processes and tracking procedures, and even manage your SPD for you. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you boost your revenue, reduce your risks, and make surgery safer by giving proactive attention to your SPD!
