A study published in Spine examines how spine surgeons at an academic medical center used Lean principles to identify opportunities to improve quality and lower costs in the operating room.
More healthcare facilities are employing Lean principles to improve efficiency and enhance value. An academic medical center team audited their instrument processing and workflow, including a report of each instrument used by orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons for spine cases.
The researchers found:
• In 38 cases, only 58 percent of the instruments were used at least once.
• The team was able to come to a consensus on removing 41 percent of the instruments.
• After removing the unused instruments, the team consolidated two instrument sets into one and reduced the weight to by 17.5 pounds.
• The team projects $41,000 cost savings annually from the change.
• New instruments were purchased to standardized sets, but the team estimated a return-on-investment within two years.
"Inefficient surgical routines may comprise significant resource waste in an institution. Process assessment is an important tool in decreasing healthcare costs, with objectivity provided by Lean or similar principles, and essential impetus to change provided by stakeholders," concluded the study authors.