Optimizing surgical compositions: The power of Pareto’s law
Introduction :
A healthcare facility faces daily challenges to ensure the availability and quality of its surgical instruments. The desire for improvement is constantly present in the teams, however, launching a project as complex and transversal as an optimization should not be done lightly…
Often, 20% of the instruments generate 80% of the workload and costs. It is in this context that the Pareto law proves to be a strategic tool to identify the most effective areas for improvement and define corrective actions.
By focusing on a small percentage of critical elements, institutions can optimize sterilization processes and improve operating room productivity. But they still need to be clearly identified!
PARETO'S LAW
Also called the 80/20 rule , states that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.
Applied to the management of surgical compositions, it means that 20% of the instruments in the compositions or of the compositions themselves, are often responsible for 80% of the interventions in terms of needs and frequency of use.
In order to obtain concrete results in a very short time, this method is perfectly suited!
1. Identify priority areas of work
It is important first of all to take into account what already exists and therefore the organization already in place in the establishment , that is to say: surgical specialties, volumes of activities, existing compositions in each of them, number of rotations, volumes of instruments processed.
Firstly, the activity volumes of each surgical specialty will make it possible to define the teams to be called upon . The motivation of the teams to carry out this work is also important and to create a dynamic, the strategy must take into account this parameter which can only be measured by the internal project manager .
In the targeted specialties, the first indicators to monitor are the turnover rate and urgent returns for recomposition . By identifying and optimizing these compositions, concrete results will appear very quickly.
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Reduced the number of compositions and instruments in each composition.
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Less time wasted on urgent recompositions.
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Savings in space and volume in vending machines.
Well-conducted optimization canreduce surgical instrument costs by 20% based on our experience.
2. Prioritize corrective actions based on objectives
The major parameter in the optimization work is that of the digital data linked to the surgical instruments and compositions ➔ Each instrument or composition must be identifiable without possible confusion by all stakeholders. The use of a common language then becomes obvious.
Starting with an analysis of the available digital data on surgical compositions (including usage frequencies, turnover rates and incidents), you can identify the “20%” of instruments or compositions that generate 80% of the workload, costs, or interruptions in the operating room. This allows you to structure corrective actions around the most impactful elements and guide optimization work.
Here are 3 avenues of work:
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Critical Compound Assessment: Focus on the top 20% of compounds in use. This ensures that optimization efforts align with frequent OR needs, reducing shortages and urgent recompositions.
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Prioritize recurring incidents: Often a few compositions or types of instruments are responsible for the majority of incidents (losses, shortages or damages). By targeting verification and prevention efforts on problematic instruments, you will save time and quickly gain fluidity.
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Rationalization of inventory and purchasing: By identifying the 20% of the most critical instruments, you can prioritize purchases and buffer stock for these items, ensuring their availability. This approach also optimizes costs, by avoiding unnecessary purchases.
3. Industry examples applied to Hospital Sterilization
The Pareto law is commonly used in various industrial sectors to optimize resources and reduce costs . Here are some inspiring examples from other fields:
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Automotive industry: In production lines, it is applied to target critical components that cause the majority of quality problems. In sterilization, this could translate into special attention given to the most frequently failing instruments , ensuring increased monitoring and more rigorous checks before their return to circulation.
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Logistics sector: Logistics companies focus on the 20% of routes or warehouses responsible for 80% of traffic or costs. In sterilization, this approach can help target investments on essential compositions , thus limiting the costs of less used devices.
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Information Technology: In large technology companies, teams prioritize the 20% of software features that are used 80% of the time. Similarly, in sterilization, integrating essential features, such as buffer stock management or maintenance of critical instruments, would allow for more fluidity and fewer supply disruptions.
Conclusion :
Applying Pareto's law to the management of sterilization instruments turns out to be a strategic approach.
By targeting the 20% of compositions and instruments responsible for 80% of the workload, healthcare facilities optimize their resources, reduce costs and improve the availability of instruments in the operating room.
Examples from other industries demonstrate that this approach not only improves efficiency, but also ensures better quality of care by meeting critical needs.
Implementing optimization does not require radical changes, but rather a gradual approach, focused on priority areas.
Aided by appropriate digital information and management tools, establishments can measure and make the right decisions to maximize operational efficiency.
Jean-Paul Averty
President and Founder of InWay SAS