As elective procedures are now fully underway after a backlog of delayed surgeries due to COVID-19, improving OR turnover speed is more important than ever before.
New and vital protocols to prevent contamination can prolong surgery times, and when a single minute in the operating room (OR) can cost up to $133, implementing additional measures to reduce that time will be important for small hospitals and large IDNs alike.
Working with clinicians to standardize your OR products or consolidate them into kits can save time spent in the supply room and ensure that staff experiences are consistent from surgery to surgery. Standardized supplies enable staff to be familiar with the products used throughout your ORs, so they can have an efficient, consistent clinical experience without usage errors. Furthermore, relying on a sterilized kit of products instead of introducing 20+ individual items to the sterile field can reduce the likelihood of any inadvertent breaks in sterile technique. Last, having all the right products in the OR from the start limits time spent grabbing additional supplies during surgery.
For more tips on how supply chain professionals and clinicians can improve OR turnover time, check out this infographic.