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Gene Burton & Associates, a Franklin, Tenn.-based equipment
planning firm. "No industry can accept an increase of that magni-
tude without implementing new efficiencies. The alternative
would be chaos.
"Today, our key element of efficiency is increasingly technolo-
gy," says Mr. Miller. "Tools that let us accomplish more, faster,
using the same resources and staff. In health care, tools must be
employed to streamline the diagnostic process, reduce redundan-
cy, automate testing and reporting, decrease procedure time and
speed recovery."
Chief among these tools are electronic medical records systems,
on which OR teams will rely heavily. "Greater interfacing of infor-
mation will lead to greater efficiency," says Ms. Maleski. "Quickly
obtaining and comparing data can lead to faster and potentially
better care."
Healthcare information technology has been the leading capital
expense industry-wide for several years running, and Mr. Miller
acknowledges that more than a few facilities have struggled with
its implementation. "Yet if properly applied, the promise of EMRs
is efficiency: immediate access to current, accurate patient
records, reduced testing, quicker diagnosis and treatment execu-
tion, and more thorough follow-up."
All of which can reduce time and expense. "Healthcare is largely
an information-based industry," he says. "Information, in many
ways, is the raw material of good medicine."
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It'll be versatile: Meet the hybrid OR
"Making surgery less invasive continues to be the main
trend across all clinical service lines and patient popula-
tions," says Ms. Maleski. "Although published evidence does not
S U R G I C A L T E C H N O L O G Y
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