For many years, ambulatory surgery centers had a built-in advantage over hospitals when it came to cataract cases. Just as a certain manufacturer advertises that they just make copiers, we just do surgery. That meant we could do the cases more cost effectively with equal outcomes. More recently, however, technology and a shifting reimbursement climate have caught up with us. Therefore, it is paramount to economize - which, to me, goes beyond merely cutting case supply costs. Economizing involves being more efficient and intelligent about how you do cases, whereas "cost-cutting" is strictly an exercise in bean counting. With that in mind, here are nine strategies for economizing your cataract cases that any surgical facility can use.

Staff smart
I strongly recommend doing efficiency studies to determine the best way to staff your procedures. There are many ways that you can move the patient smoothly from the OR to PACU to discharge. You may find that a four-person team works best, with a surgeon, a circulating nurse, a scrub tech and an instrument tech in two rooms. Or you may find it best to create a primary team to go into the room with the doctor after a "set-up team" finishes turning over the OR.

Ms. Harmer ('consultmacinc@aol.com')) is Senior Clinical Analyst at Florida Hospital and an accreditation surveyor for the AAAHC.