"There is a saying in spine — you never want to be the first, you never want to be the last [to do something new]," says Brian Massoud, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon at Spine Centers of America in Fair Lawn, N.J.
While minimally invasive techniques for spine procedures may have been new a few years ago, the research, papers and publications generally show that minimally invasive techniques are efficacious.
Surgeons adopting minimally invasive techniques are no longer the first. Now, it is a good idea to avoid being the last, says Dr. Massoud. "The time for sitting on the sidelines and waiting to determine whether [minimally invasive] is beneficial or not is over," he says. "There is enough outcome-driven proof that minimally invasive works."
Here are some benefits of adding minimally invasive techniques to your procedural repertoire, especially in terms of increasing patient volume and spine center profitability.
1. Clinical improvements. There are many clinical reasons for performing minimally invasive spine procedures. "From a purely medical standpoint, minimally invasive is better for the patient," says Dr. Massoud. Better clinical outcomes often lead to happier patients who return for services and recommend friends. Clinical benefits can include:
• Minimized blood loss;
• Less muscle and tissue disruption;
• Shortened hospital stays;
• Reduced recovery period.
2. Referral growth. Knowledge and ability of minimally invasive techniques allow you to perform cases at outpatient surgery centers, which can enhance your profitability. Once you are a partner with an ASC, or have permission to bring cases to the center, that can help you build referrals.
"Other partners of ASCs tend to have referral sources, such as related health care providers," says Dr. Massoud. To jumpstart increasing patient volume for the practice, identify a high volume partner organization where spine procedures are not currently done. "That can help you build your practice," says Dr. Massoud. "Plus they can benefit from the ASC membership." Additionally, if you decide to be a partner at a surgery center you would be a stakeholder and could share in profits from the center.
3. Increases competitiveness. From a practice management standpoint, if you do not offer the latest in spine care you may not grow or remain competitive. According to Dr. Massoud, if you don’t offer the latest technology you will get left behind because people will go elsewhere..
"Frankly, it is important to do minimally invasive techniques to remain competitive," says Dr. Massoud. Patients already research diseases and ailments on the Internet, so researching spine care and the benefits of minimally invasive techniques is not a stretch.
4. Elevates exposure. Minimally invasive techniques increase your exposure inside and outside your community. If you can build a level of expertise where you become a respected minimally invasive surgeon, you may become involved in a variety of activities that increase your exposure.
"You can receive a teaching affiliation which could really get your name out there. If potential patients research you and see you teach courses at a local university or medical school, and that you are instructing other physicians regularly, they would have more assurance that you are skilled in those techniques," says Dr. Massoud. "That is how a teaching affiliation becomes valuable for patient referrals."
5. Improves work balance. When you incorporate minimally invasive techniques into your practice, which increases your marketability to ASCs, many of your procedures may be moved to an outpatient setting. An outpatient setting, especially one in an ASC can dramatically improve your quality of life as a surgeon.
"When you are conducting outpatient surgery, you have more time for other things," says Dr. Massoud. "You are out of the hospital, so your days are not full of hospital rounds." Patients only stay in surgery centers for a few hours — so quality of life for surgeons improves personally and professionally. With the extra time, you could work on improving other areas of your practice, like additional training or the marketing and patient outreach of your center or practice to improve profitability.
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Surgeons adopting minimally invasive techniques are no longer the first. Now, it is a good idea to avoid being the last, says Dr. Massoud. "The time for sitting on the sidelines and waiting to determine whether [minimally invasive] is beneficial or not is over," he says. "There is enough outcome-driven proof that minimally invasive works."
Here are some benefits of adding minimally invasive techniques to your procedural repertoire, especially in terms of increasing patient volume and spine center profitability.
1. Clinical improvements. There are many clinical reasons for performing minimally invasive spine procedures. "From a purely medical standpoint, minimally invasive is better for the patient," says Dr. Massoud. Better clinical outcomes often lead to happier patients who return for services and recommend friends. Clinical benefits can include:
• Minimized blood loss;
• Less muscle and tissue disruption;
• Shortened hospital stays;
• Reduced recovery period.
2. Referral growth. Knowledge and ability of minimally invasive techniques allow you to perform cases at outpatient surgery centers, which can enhance your profitability. Once you are a partner with an ASC, or have permission to bring cases to the center, that can help you build referrals.
"Other partners of ASCs tend to have referral sources, such as related health care providers," says Dr. Massoud. To jumpstart increasing patient volume for the practice, identify a high volume partner organization where spine procedures are not currently done. "That can help you build your practice," says Dr. Massoud. "Plus they can benefit from the ASC membership." Additionally, if you decide to be a partner at a surgery center you would be a stakeholder and could share in profits from the center.
3. Increases competitiveness. From a practice management standpoint, if you do not offer the latest in spine care you may not grow or remain competitive. According to Dr. Massoud, if you don’t offer the latest technology you will get left behind because people will go elsewhere..
"Frankly, it is important to do minimally invasive techniques to remain competitive," says Dr. Massoud. Patients already research diseases and ailments on the Internet, so researching spine care and the benefits of minimally invasive techniques is not a stretch.
4. Elevates exposure. Minimally invasive techniques increase your exposure inside and outside your community. If you can build a level of expertise where you become a respected minimally invasive surgeon, you may become involved in a variety of activities that increase your exposure.
"You can receive a teaching affiliation which could really get your name out there. If potential patients research you and see you teach courses at a local university or medical school, and that you are instructing other physicians regularly, they would have more assurance that you are skilled in those techniques," says Dr. Massoud. "That is how a teaching affiliation becomes valuable for patient referrals."
5. Improves work balance. When you incorporate minimally invasive techniques into your practice, which increases your marketability to ASCs, many of your procedures may be moved to an outpatient setting. An outpatient setting, especially one in an ASC can dramatically improve your quality of life as a surgeon.
"When you are conducting outpatient surgery, you have more time for other things," says Dr. Massoud. "You are out of the hospital, so your days are not full of hospital rounds." Patients only stay in surgery centers for a few hours — so quality of life for surgeons improves personally and professionally. With the extra time, you could work on improving other areas of your practice, like additional training or the marketing and patient outreach of your center or practice to improve profitability.
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5 Ways to Improve Profitability at Pain-Driven ASCs