The benefits of outpatient surgery

There are a number of ways outpatient surgeries are helpful for patients as well as medical professionals, and new technologies are making these procedures easier and safer. At the same time, orthopedic EHR use allows doctors to make more informed decisions and identify patients for whom an outpatient procedure may not be possible. Similarly, doctors can track potential complications that result from specific surgeries and identify new operations that may have outpatient capabilities.

According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, not every individual or procedure is a candidate, outpatient surgeries are in many ways easier for patients, and there are also inherent benefits for doctors and care centers.  

Convenience
The most obvious benefit associated with outpatient surgery and other procedures is that it can be easier and more comfortable for your customers. A hospital can be an uneasy setting for some individuals, so undergoing a small operation at a physician's office or other facility may be preferable for some. This also is beneficial because it allows patients to recover at their own home. The URMC stated that the benefits of outpatient operations can be most beneficial to children, who may be afraid or unsure of visiting a traditional OR. 

For the hospitals themselves, there are enormous implications associated with limiting the number of in-house surgeries and recovery. By delegating smaller procedures to other facilities, there is less stress on the OR. Similarly, allowing patients the opportunity to recover from the comfort of their own homes opens up beds for individuals with more serious conditions. There is also less confusion when it comes to scheduling, to the benefit of hospital administrators and other staff. The URMC found that outpatient facilities have an easier time following a set schedule than a traditional OR.

Cost
Another major consideration for these types of operations is the enormous potential for cutting costs. Patients do not face room charges at a hospital, and the URMC reported that some insurance companies have more lenient coverage for outpatient procedures. 

Hospitals too, see a tremendous financial upside with outpatient surgery. According to Becker's Healthcare, there are tremendous savings associated with outpatient surgeries when compared to the same procedure in a standard facility. For example, patients who underwent outpatient lumbar spine surgery in 2014 saved $320 on average, while across the board these operations cost $8,475 less than they would have at a regular OR. For other surgeries, the savings were even more outstanding. In fact, it was found that the average savings for outpatient angioplasty procedures was $17,530. 

In fact, across the board, there are tremendous upsides associated with offering outpatient options.

By bundling costs, it may also be possible to drive the overall price of orthopedic and spinal surgeries to even lower levels, Becker's Healthcare stated. This allows providers to compete with less formal facilities or treatment options.

By bundling the cost of the procedure, anesthesia and postoperative care, surgery centers were able to off-set any outstanding expenses and bring down the overall cost of different outpatient operations.