A presentation focusing on the potential cost savings and the quality of product in surgery center equipment reprocessing was outlined recently on the Becker's Clinical Quality and Infection Control website.
The presentation was originally given by Timothy Merchant, vice president of Medline Industries' MEDISISS, at the recent 20th Annual Ambulatory Surgery Centers Conference in Chicago.
"As an industry, healthcare produces the second largest amount of waste. Only 10 percent of the waste that is recyclable actually completes the process. And 20 to 30 percent of healthcare waste is created in the operating room," Merchant said.
According to Merchant, considerations for ambulatory surgery centers thinking about investing in reprocessing include:
1. Cost. There is a $20,000 savings opportunity per operating room per year for every surgical center or surgical hospital operating room.
2. Vetting. Reprocessing is an intensive activity.
3. Education. Reprocessing is often cited as an infection risk, but Merchant said this comes from single-use manufacturers citing old data and creating confusion.
4. Education. Educating surgeons on the quality of reprocessed devices may be as simple as storeroom education and blind trials.
5. Contracts. Surgery centers should be sure to check their contracts from original device manufacturers before reprocessing.
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