The ASC industry is rapidly changing, with decreasing reimbursements and increasing workload quickly becoming a reality. Ultimately, ASCs that can manage patient expectations and keep patient satisfaction high are the ones that will succeed, said Mr. Stilley. The nature of the work environment at a surgery center is fluid with different processes being rolled out at once. “Patient flow is also constantly changing and is complex,” he said. Hence, Key-Whitman Eye Center took the decision to automate.
The staff, physicians and patients at Key-Whitman were all asked to where badges, which would feed information regarding their movements into the real-time locating system. This helped management map out workflow more efficiently and also ensure that no patient felt abandoned. “We could see where a patient was and how long they had been waiting,” said Mr. Stilley. “Then we could make sure that a staff member attended in time.”
The eye center could also use the real-time objective data to improve processes. “The clipboard can be subjective,” said Mr. Stilley. “I don’t trust it. But with the automated system, the information is irrefutable. We know if a doctor took too long to go see a patient.”
“The idea is to improve what you are doing now, not do anything different,” said Mr. Chambers. Most technology does not focus on process improvement, but it is an important factor contributing to the success of a center. According to Mr. Chambers, Key-Whitman saw the following results after implementing the automated system:
1. More consistency
2. More productivity
3. Continuous process improvement capabilities
4. Increase in staff awareness — for example, knowing if a patient is waiting or if a surgery is running long and making adjustments accordingly
5. More efficient communication between employees
“It is just a question of doing things differently,” said Mr. Chambers. “Let’s do things better.”
