Introducing Procedures to Your Outpatient Environment

By Ben Hill, Marketing Manager

 7/20/2022

Over the past decade, there has been a slow but steady migration of procedures from inpatient healthcare settings to outpatient settings, including physician offices and surgical centers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than three-quarters of all operations in the US are performed in settings outside the hospital. Additionally, an industry-wide study found that more than half of the US patient surgical procedures are performed in ambulatory surgery centers.

With growing pressure to control costs, as well as advances in technology, anesthesia and pain management, this shift is expected to continue to increase over the next five years. Additionally, there seems to be growing interest from the government to help facilitate this shift.

Last year, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) proposed a revision to the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) and the Medicare ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system designed to move certain procedures from inpatient healthcare settings to outpatient settings.

If you are planning to introduce procedures, or expand the procedures you are currently providing, here are five key considerations to help ensure your practice or clinic is equipped to handle this migration of care.

• Workflow designed to enable physicians to meet the demands of in-office procedures. This includes well-organized storage zones that maximize efficiency and minimize traffic. It also includes a procedure zone designed around the caregiver, providing access to patients, work surfaces and supplies with limited steps and eliminating excessive clutter before, during and after procedures. 

• Ergonomically friendly environment that elevates staff well-being and satisfaction to the same level of importance as clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, efficiency and profitability. It also can help reduce provider injuries by supporting better posture whether seated or standing and eliminating unnecessary stretching and stooping. 

• Infection prevention program designed to incorporate procedures. Assess your current efforts and identify gaps or areas in your infection prevention program where additional steps need to be taken. Ensure your instrument processing area is designed and equipped to fit the needed procedure volume. 

• Mobile procedure cart that allows for sturdy room-to-room maneuverability and can be customized for specific workflows and procedures. It needs to easily support procedure work and prep from the standing position, offering an optimal platform for supporting the delivery of care. 

• Procedure chair that is fully adjustable and allows you to position the patient for better access to efficiently deliver quality care, while also offering comfort. It needs to offer the functionality of a clinical device with the design elements of a chair to provide comfort to the patient during lengthy procedures.

The Focal Point of the Procedure Room

As a leading medical solutions provider focused on the design of the clinical environment to improve the healthcare experience, Midmark works closely with healthcare staff and ergonomic experts to design procedure room equipment that helps provide a safe, comfortable and efficient environment. An example of our evidence-based design (EBD) approach is the Midmark 630 HUMANFORM^® Procedure Chair.

Designed to complement the human body with more natural movement, The Midmark^® 630 enhances patient comfort while allowing you to remain in the proper working position throughout procedures. It offers enhanced positioning capabilities for unobstructed access to the patient and a clear view of the surgical site.

Power height, back, foot and tilt gives you the ability to quickly and precisely move the patient into the most effective medical position for a wide range of procedures, while minimizing patient discomfort and increasing time spent on the patient's needs. This procedure chair offers an accessible 19-inch low seat height and a 650-pound weight capacity, as well as Active Sensing Technology^® that pauses chair movement when potentially harmful impact is detected.

As more inpatient procedures migrate to outpatient environments, it is important that your point of care is ready. Having the right equipment, efficient workflows, a focus on ergonomics and an effective infection prevention program will help ensure your clinic or practice can deliver quality care.

For more information, contact a Midmark representative.