The Impact of Single-Use Cystoscopes on Clinical Time Workflow in an Outpatient Setting

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Medical Devices
• Clinical Efficiency

Background:

• Reusable cystoscopes require extensive cleaning and maintenance, impacting clinic workflow.
• Transitioning to single-use cystoscopes aims to streamline procedures and improve patient throughput.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of single-use cystoscopes on clinical encounter time.
• To assess changes in clinical capacity and procedure volume in an outpatient urology setting.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, single-institution study compared reusable and single-use cystoscope workflows.
• Nursing care responsibilities and time spent were categorized and recorded.
• Clinic schedules were analyzed pre- and post-transition.

Main Results:

• Average total encounter time decreased by 34% (from 66 to 44 minutes).
• The median number of flexible cystoscopy procedures increased by 78% (from 9 to 16 per day).
• Elimination of preliminary cleaning and transportation tasks for single-use cystoscopes was noted.

Conclusions:

• Transitioning to single-use cystoscopes significantly enhances clinical efficiency in outpatient urology.
• Single-use cystoscopes facilitate a higher volume of procedures per clinic day, improving capacity.