The interaction between the sterile processing department and operating room can be weighed down by many unnecessary steps, according to an article on the Outpatient Surgery website.
For the article, the 50 or so steps involved in getting used instruments from the OR to sterile processing and back again were mapped out and evaluated.
The exercise revealed that many instruments that were being stored were simply taking up space — they weren't being used anymore. There were trays that had been set up for doctors who'd worked once or twice years before.
Ultimately, many instruments were consolidated or eliminated freeing up several rows of shelving and trays, the article said. That alone made the whole area run much more smoothly. Also, how the OR processed information was changed, making it easier for staff to track trays as they moved through the process.
Read the article (free registration may be required).
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