CUSTOMER VIEW / Kantonsspital Baden
Kantonsspital Baden saves at least ten minutes on the preparations
for every operation
Improved efficiency, time savings and lower costs in
the O.R. workflow
“We order fewer articles
and cut our purchasing and
storage costs.“
Bruno Richterich, Head of the Logistics
Centre, Kantonsspital Baden
“Our main goal was to
improve efficiency. In other
words: to provide as many
patients as possible with
the highest possible quality
of care in the shortest
possible period of time.”
Prof. Thomas Kocher, Head of the
Surgery Department, Kantonsspital
Baden
“We can permanently
improve perioperative
processes without tying up
too much staff.”
Alexander Mainda, Head of the O.R.
Department, Kantonsspital Baden
“We certainly save at
least ten minutes on the
preparations for every
operation.”
Susanne Renfer, O.R. Specialist,
Kantonsspital Baden
Key benefits
• Workflow optimisation
• Improvement of
perioperative processes
without tying up too much
staff
• Complete ProcedurePak®
trays including components
from third-party suppliers
• Time savings on the
preparations for every
operation
• Far shorter set-up and
switch-over times
• Increased number of
surgical procedures with
unchanged staffing levels
• Increased safety during
operations
• Stress-free, relaxed working
in the operating room
• Greater job satisfaction
• Less storage space
• Simplified and accelerated
checking of incoming goods
• Reduction of purchasing
and storage costs
Kantonsspital Baden has succeeded in greatly accelerating
its O.R.-related workflows, starting with the logistics, and
thus in permanently cutting costs. The O.R. team’s work is
more relaxed and there has been a general increase in job
satisfaction.
The nine operating rooms at Kantonsspital Baden (KSB) are among the most modern in
Europe. The hospital redesigned the entire O.R. department in 2007, equipping it with the
latest technologies. “Our main goal was to improve efficiency. In other words: to provide as
many patients as possible with the highest possible quality of care in the shortest possible
period of time. Given that we do roughly 10,000 operations per year, we need to keep the
switch-over times to a minimum. That can only be achieved by optimising all the O.R.related workflows,” says Prof. Thomas Kocher, Head of the Surgery Department, describing
the underlying considerations at KSB.
The newly built operating rooms are geared entirely to ergonomics. For instance, all the
equipment is suspended from the ceiling, so that it can be moved easily and without
encountering barriers. Various monitors in each operating room display the data from all
the clinical information systems, and a video link between the individual rooms permits live
consultation between surgeons.
30 custom procedure trays from Mölnlycke Health Care support over
90 percent of all operations
“ProcedurePak trays from Mölnlycke Health Care also improve our efficiency,” says
Alexander Mainda, Head of the O.R. Department. “They are an absolute must in modern
O.R. management to easily and cost-effectively optimise workflows without interfering with
established structure.”
CUSTOMER VIEW / Kantonsspital Baden
KSB introduced the first ProcedurePak tray
Savings through improvements in
for autopsy as long ago as 2002. Today, the
the logistics process
hospital works with a total of 30 different
However, the advantages resulting from
O.R. trays for more than 90 percent of all
using ProcedurePak trays begin well before
operations. “That enables us to permanently
the operating room, namely in the store,
improve perioperative processes without
as described by Bruno Richterich, Head
tying up too much staff,” explains Mainda.
of the Logistics Centre: “We save space,
ProcedurePak
at your fingertips
because we no longer have to store so many
Following the first ProcedurePak tray, more
individual components. That also simplifies
and more operations were defined for which
and accelerates the checking of incoming
special trays were worth while. That called
goods. The time savings free up manpower
for flexibility on the part of the industry
that we now put to other uses. For example,
partner: “ProcedurePak trays are regularly
we’ve taken over management of the ward
adapted to changing surgical techniques.
supplies, meaning that the small, on-
In addition to which, we attach importance
site stocks are now replenished centrally.
to the sets also including components
The nursing staff no longer have to place
from third-party suppliers, such as suture
orders and can concentrate entirely on their
material,” says O.R. Specialist Susanne
patients.”
• Simplifies stockkeeping
Renfer, explaining the process of continuous
improvement. KSB also relies on the
The in-house logistics have also become
experience of Mölnlycke Health Care when
more efficient. Where numerous individual
it comes to assembling the materials for
components had to be picked and delivered
the trays. “Their staff has already done that
to the operating room in the past, the use
hundreds of times and they’re aware of the
of ProcedurePak trays now saves a great
special needs and workflows in an operating
deal of time. It is easier today to identify
room. That’s a great help for us,” continues
components that are no longer requested so
Susanne Renfer.
often. “As a result, we order fewer articles
• Saves time on operation
preparations
and cut our purchasing and storage costs,”
Ten minutes saved on the
says Richterich.
preparations for every operation
The ProcedurePak trays have a highly
Single-use BARRIER® Scrub Suits
positive impact on routine daily work, as the
Kantonsspital Baden has been fitting out its
O.R. Specialist says: “We certainly save at
doctors with single-use scrub suits since
least ten minutes on the preparations for
2008. In addition to the higher standard of
every operation. That can also be seen in the
hygiene, the factor that swung the decision
far shorter set-up and switch-over times.”
here was again the cost. “These are less
All in all, the various process improvements
expensive than the conventional reusable
have enabled KSB to increase the number
ones” says Alexander Mainda. Although the
of surgical procedures while maintaining the
hospital’s experience with Mölnlycke Health
same staffing levels.
Care up to that point had been entirely good,
• Quick, easy handling
KSB also examined and tested products from
While, from Prof. Kocher’s point of view, the
other suppliers. “The most important factors
ProcedurePak trays from Mölnlycke Health
for us were wearing comfort, practically
Care contribute to implementing standards
arranged pockets and availability in as many
and also improve the safety of operations,
sizes as possible,” says the Head of the O.R.
Alexander Mainda has observed something
Department, summing up the selection
else: “Not only have the O.R. workflows
criteria. Particularly when it came to wearing
become faster, they also involve less stress
comfort, everyone involved saw the single-
for all concerned. The O.R. team’s work is
use scrub suits from Mölnlycke Health Care
more relaxed, and there’s been a general
as being miles ahead of the competition.
• Supports efficient O.R. workflows
increase in job satisfaction.”
• All materials in one set
“Not only have the O.R.
workflows got faster,
the stress level amongst
employees has also
decreased.”
Alexander Mainda, Head of Nursing,
Anaesthesia, O.R., Emergency
Medicine, Kantonsspital Baden
“The staff at Mölnlycke
are aware of the special
needs and workflows in an
operating room. That is a
great help for us.”
Susanne Renfer, O.R. Specialist,
Kantonsspital Baden
“The time savings free up
manpower can be used for
other tasks. For example,
we have taken over the
supply management of the
wards.”
Bruno Richterich, Head of the Logistics,
Kantonsspital Baden
34021
Mölnlycke Health Care AB, Box 13080, SE-402 53 Göteborg, Sweden, T +46 31 722 30 00, F +46 31 722 34 00. www.molnlycke.com
The Mölnlycke Health Care name and logo and ProcedurePak® are registered trademarks of Mölnlycke Health Care AB.
Copyright 2010