Article
Optimizing surgical operations: Strategies for enhancing efficiency and revenue
Sept. 13, 2024 · Authored by Kathy Kuhar
In the evolving landscape of surgical optimization, healthcare organizations face several key challenges that impact both operational efficiency and financial performance. One of the biggest hurdles they encounter is maintaining alignment between preference cards and their supply chain management system, which is essential for accurate inventory control, reducing waste and ensuring the availability of necessary supplies. High procedure cancellation rates further complicate operational stability, leading to inefficiencies and potential revenue loss. Additionally, the synchronization of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes is crucial for minimizing billing errors, ensuring revenue integrity and improving overall efficiency. To address these issues effectively, a comprehensive approach is required to align systems, streamline processes and uphold the accuracy of coding practices to optimize both clinical and financial outcomes.
Enhancing surgical operations through optimization strategies
Optimizing surgical operations involves several critical strategies to ensure your health system functions efficiently and delivers optimal patient care, including:
- Enhanced Epic Procedure Pass: Implementing a more robust Epic Procedure Pass helps reduce surgical cancellations and improve patient safety by streamlining the scheduling and preparation process. This approach ensures that surgical operations proceed as planned and minimizes disruptions, resulting in enhanced overall patient care.
- Closed-loop supply system: Creating a closed-loop system for the "Life of a Supply" is essential for securing revenue integrity and reducing billing errors. By managing every step of the supply life cycle—from procurement and inventory management to usage documentation and claims submission—this comprehensive approach ensures accurate billing and minimizes the risk of claim denials, resulting in protecting revenue.
- Improved charge capture: Enhancing charge capture for billable services and supplies is vital for maximizing revenue. Implementing more precise methods for documenting and charging for services ensures that all billable activities are captured accurately, leading to better financial outcomes.
- Optimized scheduling: Streamlining scheduling processes to enhance efficiency and revenue generation is another key strategy. By optimizing surgical schedules, health systems can improve operational efficiency, reduce delays and improve the overall productivity of surgical teams.
