Operating an efficient, productive, and profitable ambulatory surgery center (ASC) is now more challenging than ever in today’s healthcare landscape. From shifting surgery center reimbursement rates to a lack of efficient dictation and documentation solutions, smaller centers are struggling to drive sustainable revenue, especially with the ongoing shift of surgical care moving away from the traditional hospital setting. Moreover, the ongoing staffing crisis continues to put the bottom line at risk. According to one survey, 68% of ASCs report greater challenges recruiting experienced operating room (OR) nurses — despite a 56% increase in case volume.1
With higher demand and fewer resources, ASCs must adapt to maintain a high quality of care while also preventing staff burnout. To help close the gaps, more centers are turning to automation and productivity tools to optimize administrative workflows and promote financial health.
Boost Nurse Productivity With the Right Tools
Nurses serve as the backbone of ASC operations, working day in and day out to manage patient care alongside administrative responsibilities. However, between documenting and coordinating care plans to interacting one-on-one with patients, nursing staff must balance a highly demanding workload within a limited amount of time. Streamlining administrative tasks with automation can substantially alleviate this burden, allowing nurses to dedicate more time and attention to patient-centric activities, thereby enhancing patient care and satisfaction.
Four Solutions for Streamlining Administrative Operations
To help optimize efficiency and patient care delivery, forward-thinking ASCs are adopting innovative, tech-enabled administrative solutions that improve charting, make workflow efficient and reduce staff burnout. These include:
Going Paperless. ASCs are increasingly moving toward online charting solutions. However, this is a large undertaking due to the 30% to 40% of external charts that rely on paper. With the right platform and integrations, ASCs can accelerate chart completion, optimize OR turnover, and, ultimately, lower operating costs.
Advanced Communication. HIPAA-compliant messaging systems facilitate seamless communication among patients, staff, and surgeons, saving valuable time and creating standardized communication protocols. These messages are automatically stored and readily available for historical review.
Modern Dictation and Transcription. Traditional dictation and record-keeping methods are inefficient and prone to errors. Modern tools overcome these challenges by enhancing accuracy and speed while directly integrating with electronic health record (EHR) systems. Instantaneous dictation apps allow surgeons to not only dictate but also edit, e-sign, and review external documents (such as GI reports, pathology, and credentialing documents) in one place. Streamlining these processes directly increases revenue potential by improving efficiency and accelerating time to reimbursement.
EHR Integration. Seamless integration between various systems and operational tools within an ASC is crucial to establishing an efficient administrative framework. Well-integrated solutions can significantly reduce manual data entry and minimize errors to ensure smooth operations.
MedOfficePro: The Cloud-Based Case Workflow and Chart Management Solution for ASC Efficiency
MedOfficePro offers a comprehensive suite of cloud-based solutions tailored to specific ASC needs, including chart management, modern dictation platforms, seamless integration capabilities, and tools aimed at increasing nurse productivity. Our chart management solution (Secure-Dox) uses a hybrid approach of managing paper charts with a fully cloud-based case workflow and charting solution and storage that generates over $3,000 in average savings per month. In addition to smart scanning technology, one-click printing, and customized ChartPack preparation, Secure-Dox drives unparalleled time and cost savings by providing:
Third-party interfaces with key software platforms in the ASC space such as Provation, SIS and HST eChart
Integrated capabilities with dictation App Secure-UNO (Dictation App for iOS and Android with edit capability)
Message center with integrated communication via group texts with patients, clinicians, and physicians
By providing cost-effective, automated solutions that address critical bottlenecks in administrative workflows, MedOfficePro is helping ASCs overcome staffing and reimbursement hurdles, streamline time-consuming operations, and work toward a better bottom line.
Want to learn more about transforming your ASC’s operations? Schedule a demo to explore MedOfficePro’s suite of automation and productivity tools for small surgery centers.
Sources
Saver, C. (2023, August 21). Survey: ASC volumes continue to rise amid staffing challenges. OR Manager. https://www.ormanager.com/survey-asc-volumes-continue-to-rise-amid-staffing-challenges/
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