We all know outpatient care at an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) is better. We might be partial though since we live, eat and breath it everyday. Recently, healthcare leaders were surveyed on industry trends and their points back up our feelings on ASCs being the best.
Topics discussed ranged from reimbursement policies, to patient engagement, to pre-admissions in an ASC. A few key takeaways from the survey about benefits of an ASC are below:
1. Lower costs - It costs less to have surgery in an outpatient setting. ASCs don't require the same overhead as hospitals because there aren’t the beds, extra nursing staff, overnight care, etc. Surgeons at ASCs are able to perform the same procedures as hospitals at a lower cost and patients may see the savings in their own bill. Patients have taken on much of their own cost of care with high deductible insurance plans and a shifting economy. So, the cost savings can be paid forward.
2. Lower infection rates compared to hospitals are an advantage of ASCs. Patients are less likely to have an infection after surgery when they choose an ambulatory surgery center to perform the procedure. Since ASCs especially need their brand and quality to be perfect in order to increase patient volume, they're often much more careful about sterilization and cleanliness.
3. More convenient - Who really wants to spend the night in a hospital? Not many people… With an ASC, patients spend just a few hours in the facility and are able to return home to their families to recover comfortably.
4. Improved Continuum of Care - Patient leakage and fragmented care continues to be an issue for healthcare providers. ASCs are able to control the patient journey in a way that minimizes unnecessary testing and conflicting treatments. Of course, with that, patient satisfaction drastically increases as patients are getting healthier faster and feel informed.
Did I miss a reason that you think is a big driver for patients and doctors choosing to move procedures to an ASC? Interested in helping your ASC reduce costs even more? Think about your patient engagement strategy. Share your thoughts on this in the comment section below!
