laparoscopic appendectomy), even if an extra comma or space is
included. Bingo — same procedure and surgeon, but new card. So a
nurse might make a change to a card, but it might have been made to
the wrong 1 of 11 cards that CPT code generated. On a periodic basis,
delete redundant cards. It's labor-intensive but very helpful to have
one card to update going forward.
Get supply chain staff involved. As your supply chain manager
combs through schedules looking for potential items of concern
or specialty needs, accurate preference cards can be a fantastic
resource for her. Develop a system to communicate inventory
changes to and from supply chain staff. If you change your contractor
for a stapler, then you need to change the cards for all of the surgeons
and procedures that list the old staplers. Remember, pickers are usu-
ally non-clinical. If the reference number doesn't match the needed
item, they're not going to pick it, and the OR is out of luck.
Leverage your reps. Beyond helping the surgeon, manufactur-
er reps can assist nurses with charge capture and expiration
date tracking. They can also provide useful information that you can
apply to preference cards — things like manufacturer instructions and
contraindications.
Go digital. Many facilities are still old school, using formatted
paper cards to list surgeon preferences and editing them with
pencil and eraser. Others use printouts, some use electronic systems.
Consult your EHR or practice management software vendor. They
might offer a way to work your preference cards into their systems
and integrate them with supply chain management.
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