Neurosurgeon solves case coordination issues by eliminating text

Practice Management

Coordinating a spine surgery is no easy task, especially when relying on outdated methods like phone, fax and text. With easily 10-12 case members for each case including vendors as well as various staff such as neuromonitoring, cell saver, a hospital (or ASC) coordinator, a physician’s assistant, etc., diligent communication and countless hours are required to ensure everyone remains current.

 

Each update or change to a case means another round of texts, and the opportunity for miscommunication. Something as routine as the modification of a case time or a device change can have serious consequences if someone is left off of the text list. And when communication issues occur, case delays and cancellations are quick to follow.

As a private practice neurosurgeon working at a level two trauma center with two different campuses in addition to an ASC, the complexities associated with case coordination are further complicated by the mobile nature of my job. Having spent many years (and hours) in a daily texting battle, I was fortunate to stumble upon a solution to mycase coordination issues while attending an industry tradeshow. After a quick demo, I immediately knew the Casetabs web-based surgery coordination application would be a game changer—and it didn’t disappoint. Today, communication is seamless and I am text free!

For other surgeons struggling with case coordination issues, here’s what I’ve learned.

For cases to be successful, we must breakdown communication silos. There is an assumption that everyone involved in a case is in sync simply because updates are sent via text or email. This perceived reality couldn’t be further from the truth. In most hospital environments schedulers, surgeons, medical reps, etc. work in their own EMR or clinical system, with their own scheduling software. A modern update to this aging model includes a cloud-based surgery coordination application that serves as a project management platform for coordinating and communicating real-time case information. Housing all case communication in a single hub that is easily accessible to every case member ensures everyone is looking at the same information. Proactive updates that alert case members each time a change or update is made eliminates the possibility of information being missed.

Mobility matters. The life of a surgeon is highly mobile, therefore real-time access to schedules and case information from a mobile device such as an iPhone or Android is absolutely essential. The ability to securely upload X-rays, MRIs and other PHI from my mobile device to the surgery coordination hub means no more group texts. The information is readily available within the application to every member of the case team.

My time matters as well. Moving to a surgery coordination application has allowed me to reclaim valuable time. Integrating the Casetabs schedule into my Google docs calendar means my days are much more organized. And, I no longer need to worry about who I need to send text updates to at the end of the day because the information is there for everyone to see. If something changes, everyone is alerted. There are no excuses for mistakes.

Spine cases are complicated. There are many moving parts and lots of people involved. When relying on text, managing the communication chain was a constant struggle. That is not the case today.

Modernizing the way I schedule and coordinate cases is one of the best things I’ve done for my practice. With the efficiencies I’ve gained, the application paid for itself.

 

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