The efficiency of the OR is directly tied to the efficiency of the sterile processing department (SPD). And because the efficiency of the OR can be tied to revenue, the SPD can either be a revenue generator or a serious cost drain for your hospital.
A handful of factors that can drag down SPD performance include cleaning or sterilization errors, staff turnover, complex instrumentation, a lack of safety culture, miscommunication, and delays. Delays mean a loss of billable minutes in the OR, which seem incremental when they occur — but can add up to considerable losses in revenue.
SPD Delays in Dollar Amounts
Research has been conducted on exactly how expensive it is when the correct instrument sets don’t arrive on time to the OR. One study in BMC Surgery focused on seven pediatric ORs over a few months revealed seven figure revenue losses caused by SPD delays. Even though the average length of delays was approximately 10 minutes, those minutes amounted to significant dollar amounts. The study states, “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.”
Another study in the UK published by Cureus evaluated three hospitals over 30 weeks to analyze delays caused by defects in orthopedic instrument sets. Approximately 601 instrument sets were found to be defective during the study period, resulting in delays and even surgery cancellations. They estimated a financial loss that, translated into American dollars, added up to $1,700 per patient — and over $180,000 total. This amount is significant for a single surgical line; combined with other types of surgeries, it’s inevitable that it would amount to much more.
What Causes SPD Delays?
SPD delays can be caused by a number of factors, but the top issues are usually the following:
- Complex instruments
- Instrument volume
- Incorrect instrument sets
- Defective or contaminated instrument sets
Instrument complexity has been increasing steadily with the amount of technological innovation in the OR. Surgeries are becoming more minimally invasive and controlled with robotic elements and scopes, but that means that these instruments are more difficult to process and clean. Instrument volume is also a major concern, as demands on the SPD are exacerbated by staff turnover and the volume of surgical procedures. Supplying the appropriate instrument sets has to do with organization and communication, which can often be lacking, meaning that incorrect and/or superfluous instruments are ending up in the OR. Finally, defective and contaminated instruments are the most dangerous causes of delays because these instruments can actually end up hurting patients if the errors are not corrected immediately. Instead of a loss of billable minutes, hospitals can be facing malpractice lawsuits.
Reduce Delays and Improve SPD Efficiency
At SpecialtyCare, we’re experts in improving SPD efficiency and performance. We use Six Sigma principles to analyze the needs in your SPD and tackle all the serious factors that contribute to expensive delays in the OR. We can audit your SPD, place experienced SPD techs in your hospital, provide long-term or interim management, and even optimize instrument sets so that your SPD helps your OR generate more revenue. Contact us today to find out more about how we can help!
