A 2018 study of California acute care hospitals found that the mean cost of one minute of operating room (OR) time is $36 to $37, providing a generalizable benchmark for the value of OR time nationwide, per JAMA Surgery. However, that $37 accounts for factors beyond the cost of performing surgery, like surgery scheduling mistakes – mistakes that are largely avoidable.
Surgical scheduling is far more complex than it may seem. It requires adhering to surgeons’ preference cards, maintaining clean and current surgical dictionaries, correctly mapping procedures to Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) codes, and more.
All these functions rely on comprehensive, standardized clinical terminology. Without it, hospitals risk repetitive dictionary descriptions, ambiguous EHR terminology, and increased inpatient-only denials. All of these can lead to inconsistent OR case durations, subpar reimbursements, and, worst of all, decreased quality of patient care.
Optimizing surgery scheduling is essential for cutting costs in the OR. Keep scrolling for three practical, proven strategies.
1. Maintain a clean and accurate surgical dictionary
A healthy surgical dictionary contains clear, precise procedure names that are standardized and unique – there shouldn’t be any duplicates. It also ensures that surgeons’ preference cards are current and that the clinical terminology in a patient’s chart is up to date.
Furthermore, healthy surgical dictionaries help schedulers effectively manage unexpected situations, like add-on cases, by clearly indicating which procedures are most urgent. Without lengthy operating room delays, providers can ensure that patients aren’t under anesthesia longer than needed as well.
In just one year after implementing IMO Health’s surgery scheduling solution, one integrated health system increased case duration accuracy by nearly 14%. Another organization, Piedmont Healthcare, drastically curbed in-patient denials for higher reimbursement.
2. Tackle CPT code gaps in surgery scheduling
It’s common to find coding documentation lacking the appropriate CPT codes. According to data IMO Health gathered from over 120 health systems, procedures typically lack CPT codes or HCPCS codes more than three-quarters of the time. Applying this inconsistent data can then complicate workflows.
Piedmont Healthcare is a prime example. The health system’s rapid expansion exposed gaps in surgical scheduling data – namely, the absence of CPT codes linked to procedures. Without standardized codes, Piedmont faced significant challenges, including difficulties with prior authorizations and inaccuracies in case duration estimates.
In response, the organization adopted a solution – IMO Core Periop – that could integrate seamlessly with its EHR system and promote consistency across its growing network. IMO Health enabled Piedmont providers to clean up their procedure lists, eliminate duplicates, and standardize terms. The result was greater scheduling accuracy and better data quality – two things that impact revenue and patient care.
3. Integrate HCPCS codes into surgery scheduling processes
The key to accurate billing is precise coding documentation, yet hospitals often rely on CPT codes alone. By including HCPCS codes alongside standard CPT codes in surgery scheduling workflows, clinicians and schedulers can easily record each procedure with greater detail without having to search for and maintain HCPCS codes individually.
IMO Core Periop enables clinicians and schedulers to select appropriate HCPCS codes directly within the scheduling interface. This capability reduces denials, optimizes reimbursement, improves data and case duration accuracy, supports OR analytics, and more.
