The Baby Boomer generation is currently within range for cataracts, which right now is estimated to be 76 million people in the US between the ages of 55-75. According to studies, the average age of cataract surgery patients today is 60. This means that we are nearing (if not already in) history’s busiest years in Ophthalmology.
On top of these stats, articles published by Mayo Clinic News Network, Today.com, and Review of Ophthalmology all write of Boomers trending to opt-in for cataract surgery at earlier ages than previous generations. It is no wonder, as increases in IOL technology, phaco technology, and newly approved procedural options are producing better refractive outcomes. Cataract surgery is now more convenient, has better outcomes, and is less strenuous on patients than ever.
Big improvements in vision + minimally invasive procedure + 98% success rate = Baby Boomer Cataract Influx! Why not?
3 Ways To Prepare For The Baby Boomer Cataract Influx
1 ) Streamline Your Operational Structure – Maximize your Efficiency
The influx of Baby Boomer cataract surgery means that ophthalmologists will be in high demand, and cataract surgery will be at all-time-high numbers. This means that it’s really important to prepare your facility, staff, and operational structure for an increase in patients. More surgeries mean longer days, so streamlining your procedures will be essential to ensure that your facility is ready to perform more surgeries in as little time as safely as possible.
How do you do this? Organizing an “Eye Team” is one of the best ways to increase efficiency. The eye team is made up of circulating nurses, scrubs, and support staff that are trained and know what to do in their specific roles. From room turnover, sterilization processing, and intra-op steps and norms, having a trained, experienced, and designated team is one of the best ways to increase speed while remaining safe.
2) Acquire the Latest Technology – Increase Safety + Efficiency
New phaco and microscope technology improve the surgical efficiency of the surgeon while increasing safety for the patients. The surgeon is able to cut, aspirate, and remove the cataract faster and safer (in a more controlled intraocular environment) with new phaco technology than dated platforms. New microscope technology increases the surgeon’s view dramatically, giving them more control over the surgery while increasing safety for the patient. Both of these areas can help reduce the intra-op time of each case, and increase the day’s efficiency while retaining (or even increasing) safety standards.
3) Optimize Your Inventory Management Systems – Reduce the Back-End Hours
More cases mean more supplies. More supplies mean more purchase orders to process, organize, stock, pull, and reorder after surgery. For anyone who has handled eye surgery inventory, you already know how much work is entailed in this department. With an influx of cases, this means an increase in back-end hours. It’s important to optimize your inventory systems to make sure you fine-tune your operations to eliminate lag as much as possible.
These above 3 tasks to streamline your cataract systems are easier said than done. But we have good news!
Surgical Direct fits the bill in each of these areas.
1) Surgical Direct helps streamline your operational structure.
At Surgical Direct, we acclimate to your environment and become part of the team. Our experienced surgical coordinators not only deliver the equipment and supplies but offer technical assistance and support on every cataract case in your OR. This raises the overall ‘procedure knowledge’ in the room, and can increase the day’s efficiency.
2) Surgical Direct provides the latest cataract technology at no upfront cost.
Cataract Technology is expensive. In fact, MarketWatch.com predicts that the cataract surgery device market will surpass $8.5B by 2024. This particular area can be the most challenging for surgical facilities because of the capital. Surgical Direct’s Mobile Cataract Service provides the latest technology in phaco, ophthalmic microscopes, and IOL to your OR with no capital expenditure.
3) Surgical Direct provides massive inventory support, eliminating your inventory for the majority of eye case supplies on-site.
Along with our technology provisions, we provide wide/customizable selections in eye case inventory for your surgeries (except drugs). This eliminates the need for your facility to carry these items and maintain inventory, freeing you and your staff for more important work.
