For ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) caught up in the day-to-day grind, it's likely no surprise to hear that most centers are greatly underutilizing the software they purchase.
Although ASC staff receive training from their software vendor, because they are heads-down trying to get their new surgery center up and running or are caught up in the daily hustle and bustle, on average, staff hear only 30 to 40 percent of what a trainer says. It is not until the trainer leaves, and staff try to utilize the software on their own, that they realize information was missed.
Another reason software becomes underutilized is because staff often feel they are too busy to sit down and input the necessary information; they assume they will get to it later and never do. Once the data piles up, it is easier to ignore. As a result, ASCs are losing money as valuable information that could – and should – be captured within their clinical and management software is not.
So how can centers check to see if they are utilizing their software to its fullest potential? To get staff started, let's look at three key software features that are most commonly underutilized, the ramifications of underutilization of these features, and how to resolve these issues. Getting just these three areas on track can provide significant financial and operational benefits.
1. One of the most underutilized software features is the inventory component. It is often paid for as part of the software, yet it is rarely used because of the time required to load inventory into the system. Staff are very busy, their attention is focused on ordering supplies and equipment, trying to get the OR set up, managing contracts, etc. While they keep saying they'll get the inventory loaded, time slips by and they don't; or if they do, inventory is entered haphazardly without the ongoing attention it needs.
Without this information, it is impossible to leverage the case costing module which provides an ASC with information essential to determine the overall cost and profitability of performing surgical procedures. Other costly issues associated with poorly managed inventory are equipment conflicts, the potential for expired drugs to sit on the shelf, the chance a surgery will need to be canceled due to missing inventory, and much more.
To ensure the inventory module is used to its fullest potential, management should dedicate one person to this task. The ideal person should be reliable and have amazing attention to detail as they need to build every piece of the inventory system, not just entering items with item numbers. This person must ensure spelling is correct, the manufacturer's information and unit costs are accurate, details on the smallest unit that can be ordered, etc.; this information must be correct at the outset. To ease the process, some vendors offer facilities a list of supply items in a format that can be easily managed for data entry or a software data upload. If a facility doesn't have this information inputted before it opens, they will beat a distinct disadvantage.
2. Another important component found within many software systems is the staffing (also referred to as credentialing) module. This feature allows facility staff to load details on anyone within a facility who has to be credentialed and offers valuable administrative control over this information. This feature is essential for keeping track of anything that expires such as medical licenses, DEA licenses, controlled substance licenses, etc. It even allows for such detail as malpractice insurance with amounts, in addition to expiration dates. This information helps centers to adhere to policies and allows staff to maximize scheduling by providing the ability to head off any possible conflicts or issues well in advance of a procedure. For example, if a surgeon's DEA license is about to expire and it is required to work in a center, controls can be set prohibiting a case from being booked until the expired license is renewed.
3. Keeping facility-specific information, most of which is constantly changing, up to date within a center's clinical and management software system is an important task that is frequently overlooked. Centers must keep track of everything from routine information (i.e. demographic details) as well as set administrative controls over who has the ability to view and/or make changes to certain things, and much more. For example, in tandem with the staffing/credentialing module, controls can be set to ensure a scheduler can't override a license expiration and continue booking cases (because the scheduler believes the paperwork hasn't been faxed over).
It is not uncommon for a facility to forego the administrative controls feature simply because they are too busy to set it up. However, because not everyone should be looking at or accessing all information, it is important to ensure these controls are put in place. Once set up, the tables that store this unique data must be kept up to date. Because things change and users leave or are added, it needs to be adjusted accordingly.
When implementing software, it is easier to do it right the first time. Otherwise, it will be harder to fix later on. For centers that are already established, assign a super user to input the missing information into these key software features. While it is a lot harder to enter this information after a facility is up and running, it is essential to the financial health of a center. Information must be managed on an ongoing basis to ensure contracts, inventory and other valuable data remain up-to-date.
For staff who have forgotten how to use certain features, most software vendors offer web-based training modules which are available for access around the clock. It is important that a center's super user frequently spot checks these training modules to stay current and to make sure the center isn't missing out on any key software features or updates.
If you know of a software capability that is not being used at your center and you'd like to learn more, please send a note to ann.geier@sourcemed.net or a leave a comment. I'll try to address it in a follow-up article.