HealthLeaders Interview: The Benefits of Data-Driven Surgery

A recent article “Iowa Health System Sees Benefits from Data-Driven Surgery,” by Eric Wicklund, the Innovation and Technology Editor for HealthLeaders, shared how the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is using technology in the operating room (OR) with the goals of improving efficiency, optimizing OR turnover rates, and improving clinical outcomes. John Cromwell, MD, FACS, associate chief medical officer and director of surgical quality and safety at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics was interviewed about the benefits of data-driven surgery.

Valuable Surgical Insights with Data

UIHC launched its “data-driven surgery” program in July 2021 using Caresyntax, a surgical data and services platform that collects data from connected devices to gather valuable surgical intelligence.

“These things turn out to be very important for patient outcomes. The amount of data we’re getting will help us see things that we never would have seen before.”

Key Takeaways

• Using technology that gathers data from connected devices and platforms in the OR, including audio and video recordings, helps to better understand how surgeries are performed.
• The information collected is used to understand how to improve procedures by saving time or supplies, changing workflows, or reducing surgical site infections (SSI).
• The data that is collected is federally protected and stored behind a strong firewall, because Caresyntax is a listed patient safety organization (PSO).
• The health system used Caresyntax technology to make short-term improvements in OR procedures, mainly affecting efficiency and room turnover rates, shaving 5-10 minutes per procedure, which can be an enormous amount of time saved when applied to over 50 ORs.

“It’s limitless in what we can do with the technology, and it’ll become a standard of practice in the future as we figure out what we can learn from it.”

Read the complete interview here: Iowa Health System See Benefits from Data-Driven Surgery

To learn more about the benefits of data-driven surgery for clinical, operational, and financial efficiency, visit the Caresyntax resource library.

Related Reading

• University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Improving Surgical Skill and Team Dynamics Through Video-based Assessments and Analytics