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Streamline Your Ophthalmology Practice With Surgical Preference Cards

Jul 17, 2023

When entering the operating room, it isn’t only your patient’s sight that’s on the line. Your wallet may be under the knife as well. 


Researchers say the average cost of surgery can be upwards of
$35 per minute, with surgical supplies accounting for up to 10% of total costs. If you aren’t tracking supplies, you leave thousands of dollars in savings on the operating table.


To manage supplies effectively and reap the savings, you’ll need an EHR solution with incredible features and modules you won’t find anywhere else, like customizable digital surgical preference cards. These advancements are helping ophthalmologists save time and money while producing superior patient outcomes.

What Are Surgical Preference Cards?

what is a surgical preference card?

Surgical preference cards record everything ophthalmic surgeons and surgical staff need to safely and effectively perform eye surgery. This includes listing necessary instruments, equipment, and supplies, as well as documenting pre-op med orders, instructions, cautery settings, and more. 


The best part is that your surgical preference cards can be customizable to suit each surgeon’s specifications, like table position, temperature, and glove size, no matter what operating room they’ll work from. With easy access to critical information, surgical staff can prepare for operations faster and more efficiently.

Ophthalmic Surgery Challenges

Ophthalmology surgeons face many challenges when performing surgery. From the initial diagnosis to the precision-required surgical technique, each step in the process requires careful, meticulous execution.


One of the most significant obstacles ophthalmology surgeons face is the accuracy of surgical preference cards. Traditionally, surgical preference cards have been handwritten or, more recently, based on inflexible programming, making them prone to error or misplacement.


Any miscommunication or error with these cards can have severe consequences, from inflated operating expenses to poor surgical outcomes. 


That’s why upgrading to the latest and most capable surgical preference cards is so important. Without careful planning, ophthalmology surgeons put themselves and their practices at risk. 


Read More: The Top 5 Benefits of an Integrated Ophthalmology ASC Visit Note

Here’s Why You Need Digital Surgical Preference Cards

ophthalmology surgery cards

Finding the right surgical preference card solution could dramatically impact your practice’s reputation and profitability. 


After equipping your practice and training your team, you can expect the following:

Decreased Supply Costs

Effectively tracking equipment and supplies is a great way to reduce expenses. 


According to experts at PricewaterhouseCoopers, “3-5% of overall supply costs” at your practice come from supply waste, and improperly managed surgical preference cards are the largest contributing factor.


Getting a better surgical preference card solution for your practice might knock percentage points off your costs during every surgery. By monitoring your supply usage more effectively, you could lower supply costs per surgery by as much as 8%.

Improved Patient Outcomes

At a busy ophthalmology practice like yours, it’s no surprise that tracking, organizing, and acquiring all the different equipment for your surgeries is a challenge.


Giving your team breathing room to focus on performing surgery instead of preparing for surgery also provides a sense of calm and confidence that will translate into better outcomes. 


Instead of entering surgeries over-stressed and under-prepared, you’ll make fewer mistakes, run into fewer problems, and position yourself for success by having your bases covered.

Increased Efficiency

Surgical preference cards empower ophthalmic providers to work smarter, not harder, by streamlining operation workflows.


The less you spend preparing for surgery, the more energy you’ll have for getting to work and focusing on patients. 


Read More:
How to Keep Ophthalmology Staff on Time and On Track

Collaboration & Communication

Digital surgical preference cards are accessible across your practice by all relevant team members. Instead of relying on constant back-and-forth over basic procedures, surgical preference cards remove the need for unnecessary communication. Now, everyone can access and update the same data simultaneously.

An Ideal Operation Environment

Things run smoother in the OR when ophthalmic surgeons are comfortable. That means setting the right temperature, organizing the correct equipment, and preparing the ideal table parameters. 


When you remove the stress from the process through surgical preference cards, you create a pleasurable and easy environment to work in. In addition to saving time and money, you’ll reduce burnout and conflict throughout your practice.

Set Your Sights on OphthalmologyEHR

best emr for ophthalmology surgery

To stay successful, ophthalmologists must stay updated with the latest innovations in ophthalmic care. That’s why investing in a specialty solution like OphthalmologyEHR is the right move for your practice


OphthalmologyEHR offers ophthalmology providers of all sizes comprehensive EHR technology to power their entire office. In addition to surgical preference cards, our unique platform includes game-changing tools for your whole team, including administrators, technicians, and billers


Don’t wait! Contact the OphthalmologyEHR team now and see how our incredible features and services can deliver better results for your practice than the competition.



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