Ambulatory Surgery Centers are increasingly handling complex procedures, partly because patients are shopping around for the best options for elective procedures. With the rise in the complexity of specific procedures like total joint replacements, ASCs must ensure they provide exceptional care in line with the often lengthy and challenging procedures they perform. If your ASC has recently added more complex procedures to the surgeries it offers, now is the time to upgrade your ASC technology to meet your patients' needs and provide the best possible care.
Patient Selection
Patient registration software that asks specific questions can help your ASC determine who is and isn’t a candidate for a complex procedure such as a total joint replacement. You can quickly get a complete picture of each patient's health and any medical issues that need to be addressed, avoiding last-minute problems by email or text for pre-registration.
Patient Preparation
Patients receiving total joint replacements and other complex surgical procedures need to prepare appropriately before surgery. Put automated software in place to send pre-op text messages or emails to patients giving them appropriate instructions. You can send messages reminding them about appointments and outlining what they need to do before surgery. Include information such as when and whether to take their prescription medications, any specific food and drink restrictions and what they need to bring to their surgery appointment.
Vendor & Equipment Management
Your ASC is always busy; it’s easy for a vendor order to fall through the cracks if you don’t have a software system in place that tracks your supplies. Our vendor management software tracks what is in your trays, what needs to be restocked, and when it needs to be done. You can even track and manage loaner trays for use during peak surgical windows without inventory issues.
Educate Your Patients
The fear of the unknown can have a negative impact on patients leading up to and following a procedure. If patients don’t understand the details of an upcoming procedure, they are less likely to take proper care of themselves when they get home. Provide patients with educational videos and detailed instructions, so they know what to expect before and after surgery. Having the correct information reduces stress for patients, resulting in more positive surgical outcomes. Be sure to offer plenty of educational materials about proper post-operative care that patients can easily access online after they’ve gone home.
Patient Tracking
Offering complex surgical procedures such as joint replacements requires tracking patients seamlessly from check-in to recovery. At fast-paced ASCs, it's critical to avoid back-ups and inform patients' families about their progress. Installing patient tracking boards and software at your ASC improves flow. It keeps the patient care team informed without running back and forth or causing bottlenecks.
Post-Operative Surveys
Don't neglect your complex surgical patients after the fact. Even a short questionnaire can help improve the patient experience in the future. Send out automated emails or texts a few weeks and a few months after complex procedures to find out what you’re doing right and what can use improvement from a patient perspective.
To elevate your ASC’s level of care for complex procedures, you need to invest time, money, and training into upgrading your facility’s technology. Cutting-edge software backed by exceptional customer service is the next logical step when your ASC facility begins offering total joint replacements and other complex surgeries.
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