Applying Lean to the O.R.: Reducing Labor and Increasing Accuracy For Implant Documentation

“We should all be acting like Amazon is getting into our business”

-J&J CEO Alex Gorsky

Current manual tracking of orthopedic implants used in the sterile field involves 2 to 3 people:  A surgical technician to make the initial identification of what is used (on parts often too small for part marking) , a circulating nurse or a sales rep to transcribe the information onto an organized sheet, and then manual entry into the EHR/EMR running on a cart or desk away from the sterile field. 

Summate’s point of use scanning system, combined with the ScanMan, reduces this process to one person, with greater documentation accuracy. The surgical technician simply scans implant usage at time of consumption, directly from the sterile field. Different implant dispositions (wasted, re-implanted) are scanned by the sterile technician as the case progresses, keeping an accurate running tally. At the end of the case, all implant documentation transfers to the EHR/ERP and also to the device vendor with a purchase order. (valuable marketing information transfers as well – that will be a subsequent blog!)

The Summate ScanMan captures ALL implant and consumable usage at true point of use - at edge of and from inside the sterile field.

The Summate implant process flow not only reduces OR labor but is an order of magnitude more accurate than manual recording, transcription, and data entry.

The Summate ScanMan also leverages label imaging technology for all packaged items consumed during surgery, at the true point of use at the edge of the sterile field. The imaging captures ALL UDI information, negating manual entry of this data into the EHR/ERP systems.

Lean process is a universal set of proven business principle that have streamlined every industry in the world.

It’s time for Lean Process to come to the operating room.

It’s time for the OR to put Scan in the Plan.

For more information go to summate.net