Dr. Afonso, Gastroclinic, Portugal: Setting up a new focus clinic
Whether surgeons are navigating a merger of different hospital campuses, moving from a public setting to a private clinic, expanding an existing clinic, opening a new clinic, or setting up an ASC, comprehensive data gathering and analysis are critical. Surgeons are able to learn from their past work and existing processes – adapting them to optimize processes for their new environments. Take a look at how medical director and surgeon Dr. Miguel Afonso laid the foundation for his success when making the decision to expand his clinic to include a private gastroclinic.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Dr. Afonso is a renowned gastroenterologist and specialist in endoscopic treatments for obesity. His commitment to compassionate care and personalized treatment plans has earned him a reputation as one of the most respected surgeons in his field.
Dr. Afonso’s current clinic includes his own facility for patient consultations and examinations and a rented OR space. When he decided he wanted to bring all activities under one roof, he knew he needed to create a thoughtful plan that would inform the building of a bigger center with endoscopic ORs, new technologies, and AI.
THE SOLUTION
Dr. Afonso wanted to capture what was working in his current clinic and also areas where he felt there may be room for improvement as he planned for his new gastroclinic. He partnered with DEO.care to use their AI-driven data and insights platform to analyze his current OR workflow, understand the true cost of each case, and build a business case for investments required to build the most optimal set-up in the new clinic. For example, the data showed that he could work within an OR block of 1.5 hours (instead of his current 2 hours), which would enable him to treat more patients during one operating day.
THE APPROACH
1. Gather Data
Model current practices with a process digital twin
Dr. Afonso’s surgery team set up the DEO.care remote measurement kit in the operating room to record his current surgery practices. Over two days, the camera recorded data from seven surgeries. DEO.care’s proprietary and patent pending technology allowed for anonymization of this data, capturing every detail of his processes, workflows, and instrument allocations while protecting the privacy of his staff and patients in accordance with GDPR standards. From there, the technology created a digital duplicate of his OR, also known as a process digital twin, allowing him to simulate what a typical surgical procedure looked like virtually.
2. Analyze Data
Identify best practices and areas for improvement
Data from the process digital twin, coupled with DEO.care’s database of best practices from other surgeons around the world, showed Dr. Afonso and his team valuable insights. They could see not only what was working well in their OR, but also see solutions from other ORs that could inform optimal systems and processes in their soon-to-be new environment.
For example, the data analysis identified there were inconsistencies in their preparation flow because there was no synchronization of patient and material flow due to late patients and induction. The analysis also identified areas where they could simplify cleaning activities and task allocations between one patient leaving and the next entering, shortening the overall turnover time.
3. Plan & Test
Create an insight-informed implementation plan to optimize practices
Once DEO.care and Dr. Afonso had identified potential areas of improvement, DEO.care put them to the test by providing digital twin simulations of different scenarios. Dr. Afonso was able to weigh the pros and cons of different solutions without costly trial and error or putting the strain on his surgery team to test them out in real life.
The resulting data allowed him to build a business case to align stakeholders on what changes they should implement in the new focus clinic. From there, they aligned on an implementation plan that would incorporate these changes and build on what was working.
4. Implement & Assess
Continue monitoring effectiveness after implementation
Dr. Afonso now has what he needs to make data-driven decisions as he moves forward on opening his private gastroclinic (currently under construction). His process digital twin will be a responsive resource for monitoring changes as he builds his practice and performs continuous improvements.
By working with DEO.care, he is set up to maintain the quality patient care and experience he is known for, while ensuring optimal efficiency and continuing his legacy of operational excellence.
CONCLUSION
For surgeons looking to expand their clinic, add a focus clinic, build new clinics or ASCs, or move from public to private settings, data is essential to set yourself up for success and mitigate costs. If you are interested in learning more about how you can use DEO.care’s data and insights platform to create your own plan for a new clinic, contact us today to set up a complimentary consultation.
Do you want to know how we can help you get started? Schedule a 15-minute intro call. No strings attached.
