Part 2: OpFlow vs. the rest: How data and guided change management drive a successful instrument rationalization process

In an earlier post, we discussed other approaches that have been taken toward optimizing instrument tray configurations in the past and why those have proven ineffective.

In this post, we will describe how the OpFlow solution differs from those methods and brings about new innovation to the process that is truly transformational.

The key differentiator brought forth by OpFlow is actual instrument usage data. Those data are collected in the OR and enable an analytics-driven process that guides the change management led by the OpFlow team and seen through until the successful deployment of newly configured instrument trays into circulation.

But, let’s start at the beginning:

OpFlow offers a free-of-charge virtual assessment so that a hospital can determine which instruments trays should be in scope for the project and quantify the return on investment. OpFlow will compare the configuration of your most frequent usage and/or highest instrument count trays to an optimized comparable tray definition in the OpFlow database in order to determine the reduction potential for those trays and corresponding cost savings on instrument processing and repurchase expense.

After defining the scope of the project based on that analysis, the on-site OpFlow implementation is scheduled. As an external team, OpFlow relieves the hospital from having to allocate valuable personnel resources toward this effort. Designed by its surgeon founders, the OpFlow process is focused on functioning within your hospital’s existing workflow without impacting the OR schedule or case progression. Moreover, OpFlow is a cloud-based solution that does not require patient data or an IT integration process.

Actual instrument usage data are collected in the OR at your hospital by the OpFlow representative for any case utilizing instrument trays that are in scope for the project. Analytics are then performed on those data to determine the reduction potential based on actual usage and can be stratified by procedure, surgeon, and service line in order to ensure that all needed instruments remain on each tray, while reducing the unused instrument surplus.

The OpFlow team is integrally involved in every step of the change management process. We understand that data alone will not ensure success without providing the support and guidance needed to see the process through to completion. Each step of the project is structured with a detailed communication plan organized by an interactive dashboard within the OpFlow software platform that enables visibility into the project status for any member of the surgical services team involved at your hospital.

All proposed tray changes based on the analytics from your hospital are reviewed by the OpFlow surgeon founders, who provide direct oversight and communication with surgeon leaders at your hospital to ensure fidelity of the proposed new tray configurations. The OpFlow team then oversees the conversion process to the optimized tray configurations by incorporating proven best practices with your sterile processing department so that there is no disruption to the OR schedule or SPD throughput incurred.

Once all trays within the scope of the project have been successfully rationalized, OpFlow provides a sustainment process within our service that enables quarterly audits so that any deviations from the optimized tray configuration are identified and reconciled as needed. Minimizing the gradual regression back to the prior state of a given tray is a key factor in preserving the efficiency gains and cost savings that are achieved through this initiative.

A successful tray rationalization project also yields the opportunity to further reduce the excess instrumentation burden. By creating space in the rationalized trays, OpFlow can initiate a tray consolidation effort in order to reduce the number of trays brought to the OR and opened for each case. The OpFlow analytics platform identifies low-volume instrument trays that would be candidates for consolidation into rationalized trays by conducting a robust evaluation of instrument usage stratified by procedure, surgeon, and service line aligned with a proprietary cost-benefit analysis of the net instrument effect.

By reducing the number of trays processed in your SPD each week, the tray consolidation effort dramatically improves throughput by eliminating the tray backlog present at most hospitals. Relieving scheduling constraints imposed by that bottleneck enables further growth of surgical case volume. Multi-hospital systems are also able to leverage data between their hospital locations to gain additional value in the process optimization.

OpFlow instrument tray rationalization and consolidation have proven to deliver a 30-40% instrumentation reduction and a corresponding 2-5x ROI for hospitals. Even more exciting, the OpFlow platform is designed to perform similar processes to reduce the amount of disposable supply waste in the OR. A more detailed discussion on that topic will be the focus of upcoming posts.

UncategorizedJanuary 18, 2020