As technology advances, more procedures can be performed with single use instruments. They permit less intrusive surgeries on patients. Healthcare facilities across the country are working to improve patient safety. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, administrators and practitioners worked to improve infection control measures to limit the risk of healthcare-associated infections. Medical practitioners are changing to single-use devices and supplies to prevent disease transmission. The industry-wide approach is bolstered by new guidelines and warnings on the use of reusable equipment, particularly those used in surgical settings, from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Benefits of Single Use Instruments
Although medical professionals recognize the importance of cleaning, disinfecting, and sterilizing reusable devices, the risk of cross-contamination persists. Wherever possible, the CDC advises clinicians to utilize disposable, Single Use Instruments and supplies. According to the group, “using disposable goods increases patient safety by removing the potential of patient-to-patient contamination.” Single-use goods limit the possibility of cross-contamination because they are discarded immediately after usage. Furthermore, according to Repertoire Magazine, sterile, single-use supplies are the “only way to assure 100 percent sterility for each patient.” These goods can also save time for medical personnel by eliminating the need for cleaning and reprocessing.
Clinicians and infection preventionists have been attempting to reduce the risk of surgical site infections in surgical settings (SSIs). The most common healthcare-associated illnesses are SSIs. It is difficult, according to the Center for Public Integrity, to estimate the extent to which contaminated reusable instruments contribute to the number of SSIs. Because germs can lurk everywhere, researchers believe the prevalence of infected reusable surgical instruments is significantly higher than is currently recognized. Nevertheless, these instruments are tough to clean and even more difficult to reuse. As a result, reprocessing surgical tools like these is becoming increasingly challenging.
Here are seven advantages that clinicians and hospital management should expect from going single use instruments:
Risk Administration:
Single use instruments and sterile supplies assist in risk management by limiting the danger of cross-contamination, and reducing the spread of healthcare-associated infections.
Reprocessing and Sterilization:
By using disposable goods, the requirement for reprocessing is eliminated. The removal of the cleaning, disinfection, and sterilizing processes saves time and improves the efficiency of the medical staff. Furthermore, it lowers the costs of complying with compliance laws and disinfection guidelines, such as operating an autoclave as necessary for specific devices or purchasing hospital-grade disinfectant sprays.
Instrument Tracability:
Every single use instruments good can be tracked separately. Clinicians merely need to refer to the lot number on the package to track the instrument back to its production batch and date.
Inventory and Logistics:
For many facilities, keeping an inventory of pricey, reusable instruments is no longer cost-effective. As non-acute minor surgical procedures grow more popular, practitioners can save time and money by transitioning to sterile, single-use devices. Disposable supplies, in addition to avoiding the requirement for reprocessing equipment, allow practices to alter their stock to meet demand at a cheaper cost than reusable supplies.
Cost Distribution:
The cost of sterilization and reprocessing of reusable devices is difficult for hospitals and healthcare reimbursement organizations to record. Using single use instruments supplies reduces the cost of surgical tools by eliminating the need to account for reprocessing.
Insurance Reimbursement:
In healthcare reimbursement policy, reusable instruments are defined as regular supplies. The administration service is included in the room charge or facility fee in the inpatient environment, and compensation for these supplies is included in the reimbursement for qualifying services. Certain items, if recognized on a claim or itemized bill, are not eligible for separate reimbursement or inclusion in outlier calculations for further compensation.” Single use instruments, on the other hand, are not considered normal supplies because they cannot be reused. Non-routine supplies are billed individually since they are directly related to a specific procedure. Hence, healthcare practitioners can bill for these things using an appropriate revenue code with or without an HCPCS code.
Cost Savings:
Although it may appear to be wasteful to discard an item after each patient’s use, the time and expenses associated with reprocessing reusable products frequently outweigh the cost of single-use items. Reusable instrument practices must consider the resources required to sanitize each item adequately.
When considering whether to migrate to single-use, healthcare facilities should consider their circumstances as well as the guidelines and suggestions of regulatory organizations. These measures can help to improve patient safety and lower the risk of healthcare-associated illnesses.