How Specialty Hospitals & Ambulatory Surgery Center Eliminate Patient Frustration

  • Healthcare Management
  • medical management - outpatient surgery
  • October 4, 2022

Ambulatory surgery centers and specialty hospitals can eliminate patient frustration with distinct competitive advantages. Here’s how.

An Alternative To Surgery At Hospitals

Surgery is an important, necessary part of healthcare. While some procedures are vital and lifesaving, most are elective. Hospitals have the resources to perform these surgeries. Yet, millions of patients are dissatisfied and frustrated with the process each year. These patients lose time and money due to scheduling issues or inpatient stays. An ambulatory surgical center or specialty hospital is a viable alternative. Choosing to have surgeries in these facilities instead can remove unwanted frustrations.

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ASCs focus on surgery

Ambulatory surgical centers are quickly becoming the preferred choice for thousands of surgeries every month. An ASC is a unique facility that performs outpatient surgeries and other pain management procedures only. These facilities have surgeons, support staff, and technology to perform several minimally invasive surgeries per day. The patient will schedule the surgery with consultation from a personal doctor. All the patient will need to do is show up on the date and time for the surgery. ASCs perform various procedures, including colonoscopies, joint surgeries, eye surgeries, and joint replacements.

Go further with specialist hospitals

Some patients may go a step further and choose a specialist hospital instead. Specialist hospitals are similar to ASCs, except these facilities focus on one particular range of surgeries. These hospitals provide specific skills and technology to patients, for instance, joint surgery. Specialist hospitals have been around for decades as part of a general hospital’s surgical department. Now, stand-alone specialist hospitals are being created with tremendous success.

Staying on schedule

So what sets these facilities apart from hospitals? In general hospitals, surgeries are often rescheduled multiple times. In some cases, a patient can wait weeks for a simple, elective surgery. Surgeons can be called away for emergencies or higher-priority tasks due to triage. More than 30% of reschedules happen due to a lack of equipment, medication, or resources. The constant rescheduling can easily lead to patient frustration. ASCs eliminate reschedules altogether since surgeries are the sole purpose of the facility. When the patient arrives, the surgeon performs the surgery on time and with a high success rate.

Cutting-edge technology, resources, and service

To remain successful, ASCs and specialty hospitals look for ways to decrease wait times and improve service. When a patient enters the facility, nurses and other support staff provide a smooth experience. Furthermore, these facilities have a range of technologies to perform minimally invasive procedures. For the patient, that means faster surgeries, faster recovery, and improved success rates. Patients won’t experience frustrating inpatient stays, possible infections, and potential revisits.

Curbing patient costs

After several reschedules, patients will be frustrated to find increased costs for surgeries. ASCs and specialty hospitals have the advantage of providing cheaper surgeries compared to general hospitals. These special facilities have increased efficiencies and economies of scale. These cost-savings go back to the patient. Some patients can save as much as 57% compared to inpatient settings.

Choose a stress-free surgery

Both are excellent at providing minimally invasive surgeries with as little friction as possible. Since ASCs and specialist hospitals’ sole responsibility is surgery, there are almost always surgeons available. These facilities take pride in providing high-quality service at a reduced cost. Patients won’t be frustrated but pleased with the outcome. People with an upcoming elective surgery should consider choosing a specialist facility for a stress-free experience.

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