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Workflow efficiencies for flexible cystoscopy: comparing single-use vs reusable cystoscopes
Ian Haislip1, Dinah Rindorf2, Christina Cool3,4
1Ambu USA, Health Economist, 6271 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite 200, Columbia, MD, 21046, USA. ianh@ambu.com.
BMC Urology
|March 6, 2024
Summary
Single-use cystoscopes significantly reduce flexible cystoscopy labor time by 48%. This efficiency gain frees up staff, reduces patient wait times, and improves procedural turnaround in urology settings.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Medical Devices
- Healthcare Operations
Background:
- Flexible cystoscopy is a standard diagnostic and treatment procedure for lower urinary tract conditions.
- Single-use cystoscopes offer a potential solution to reduce reprocessing time and repair costs associated with reusable scopes.
- This study evaluated the hands-on labor time differences between reusable and single-use cystoscopes in a urology ambulatory surgery center.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the hands-on labor time required for the preparation, breakdown, and reprocessing of flexible reusable cystoscopes versus single-use cystoscopes (Ambu's aScope™ 4 Cysto).
Main Methods:
- Direct observation and timestamp collection were used to record setup and breakdown times for both reusable and single-use cystoscope procedures.
- A subset of reusable cystoscopes underwent detailed tracking through their entire reprocessing cycle.
- Statistical significance between the time measurements for reusable and single-use cystoscopes was assessed using t-tests.
Main Results:
- Reusable cystoscopes required an average of 4 minutes and 53 seconds for preparation, breakdown, and pre-cleaning, with an additional 7 minutes and 1 second per cycle for reprocessing.
- Single-use cystoscopes required an average of 2 minutes and 22 seconds for preparation and breakdown.
- Single-use cystoscopes demonstrated a significant reduction in pre and post-procedure hands-on labor time by 2 minutes and 31 seconds (48%) compared to reusable scopes, and 80% less total hands-on time when reprocessing was included.
Conclusions:
- Single-use cystoscopes significantly decrease the hands-on labor time associated with flexible cystoscopy procedures.
- The adoption of single-use cystoscopes resulted in an average reduction of 2 minutes and 31 seconds per procedure, potentially freeing up 20 minutes daily.
- Implementing single-use cystoscopes can lead to reduced patient wait times, faster procedure turnaround, and optimized staff resource allocation.
