Can their snoring be heard
through a closed door? Do
they use a CPAP machine?
Has a family member com-
plained about their snoring? If
a patient answers yes to 1 or
more of the sleep apnea ques-
tions, that's a red flag, says
Ms. Struck, who adds that if you have multiple concerns about a
patient's risk of having sleep apnea, it's a good idea to fill out a
STOP-Bang questionnaire.
Once the health history nurse has identified the red flags in your
patient's medical history, she can bring that information to the anes-
thesia provider, who can make the final determination on whether
that history precludes the patient from being put under general anes-
thesia, whether they need to reschedule the procedure or whether
special arrangements need to be made for the surgery.
"If they're just getting propofol, the anesthetist is a little more
lenient because they're not put under as deeply," says Ms. Struck.
4. Collect ahead of time
For many patients, out-of-pocket payments pose an issue and a concern
— one that can make them frightened enough to stay home the day of
surgery. A study on the causes of same-day cancellations at a teaching
hospital found that patients cancelled 71.6% of the time due to financial
issues.
Collecting deductibles, coinsurance and copays ahead of the sched-
uled procedure is a way to help combat finance-related cancelled cases,
says Kelly Crumbo, an administrator at the Florida Endoscopy Center
J A n U A R Y 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 9 3
A last-minute
cancellation usually
results in frayed
nerves and an empty
operating room.
