The ASC industry faces a number of growing trends reshaping the way that leaders and physicians think about the future of their practices.
Here are five emerging trends disrupting the ASC industry:
1. Price transparency. On Feb. 25, President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeted at boosting healthcare price transparency. The order directed HHS and the Labor and Treasury departments to “rapidly implement and enforce” healthcare price transparency enforcement regulations.
ASCs have also noticed an increased emphasis on price transparency in their patient populations.
“Patients are becoming more cost-conscious and seeking out options that provide better value. Most ASCs are more cost-effective than hospitals for certain procedures,” Sean Gipson, division CEO and president of Remedy Surgery Center in Hurst, Texas, told Becker’s. “However, to remain competitive, the ASC must maintain transparent pricing, improve operational efficiency and ensure high-quality care. ASCs that can demonstrate these qualities are better positioned to attract patients.”
2. Multispecialty centers. While most ASCs are still single specialty, advances in technology have made multispecialty centers a more viable area of growth for ASC leaders.
“Medical and technological advances have enabled a growing range of multispecialty surgical procedures to be performed safely in an ASC setting,” Joe Peluso, administrator at Aestique Surgery Center in Greensburg, Pa., told Becker’s. “As medical innovation continues to advance, more and more procedures will transition to and be able to be performed safely in the ASC setting.”
3. Partnership with other outpatient centers. As ASCs explore partnerships with other healthcare organizations, other outpatient facilities, such as urgent care clinics and orthopedic walk-in centers, have become an attractive option for ASCs looking to expand their reach.
“Once a patient is seen in a hospital emergency room, for example, that patient will likely undergo surgery at that facility, often whether urgent or not,” Alejandro Badia, MD, founder and chief medical officer of Miami-based Badia Hand to Shoulder Center, told Becker’s. “Collaboration between a convenient walk-in facility, for example, an orthopedic urgent care center and as ASC, will drive up musculoskeletal surgical volume, while lowering overall healthcare system costs.”
By collaborating with urgent care facilities or other walk-in clinics, ASCs can create their own patient pipeline instead of relying entirely on surgeons.
“What orthopedic urgent care does is provide that access point because it’s so convenient,” Dr. Badia said. “An orthopedic urgent care, even if it doesn’t have a formal relationship with an ASC, should at least have a way for the patient to access one. That brings in revenue and patients without the ASC depending entirely on the surgeon for referrals.”
4. Physician ownership. Beckers has reported on several ASC and physician practice management organizations that are utilizing new business models to center physician independence while supporting future ASC growth. These organizations do not typically acquire an ASC or physician practice outright, rather they invest in them to provide strategic operational and financial support.
“With ownership, physicians take greater pride in the overall center performance and pay more attention to processes, efficiencies and outcomes,” Ira Kornbluth, MD, president of Clearway Pain Solutions, told Becker’s. “We have observed more physician engagement when they have ASC equity.”
5. Advances in pain management and less-invasive surgical techniques. As demand for outpatient procedures increases and anesthesia care expands beyond the traditional operating room setting, ASCs are able to manage a wider range of surgical procedures.
“Procedures that only a few years ago required major incisions, long-acting anesthetics and extended convalescence can now be performed through closed techniques utilizing short-acting anesthetics, with minimal recovery time,” Mr. Peluso said.
The post 5 dark horse trends disrupting the ASC industry appeared first on Becker’s ASC.
