The 20th Annual Spine, Orthopedic + Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference opened with an engaging panel discussion on "The Competitive Landscape for Orthopedic Supergroups."
The esteemed panelists included William T. Pennington, MD, MHA, Orthopedic Surgeon at The Orthopedic Institute Of Wisconsin; Khawar Siddique, MD, Co-CEO of DOCS Health and DOCS Surgical Hospital; Jennifer Friend, Chief Executive Officer and Owner of Friend Surgical Solutions, LLC and Chief Operating Officer of National Spine Institute; and Randy Zarin, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Orthopedics at UTHealth Houston.
Scott Becker, JD, Founder of Becker's Healthcare and Partner at McGuire Woods LLC, moderated the discussion.
Key Takeaways:
- Full Visibility and Healthy Competition are Important
The panelists agree that full visibility in terms of data is important for orthopedics. Healthy competition can bring out the best in everyone.
- Accuracy and Relevance of Data when Sharing with Physicians
Data shared with physicians should be accurate and relevant. Care should be taken to ensure that it does not create unintended consequences. Additionally, it is important to prioritize data and dashboards so that it does not become overwhelming.
- Utilizing Data Requires Tips and Strategies
The importance of data utilization in orthopedic and spine surgery, and ASC management was discussed. Tips and strategies were shared, such as scheduling dashboards, using a green, yellow, red light tool to prioritize tasks, comparing data to third party sources, building a culture of self-reporting, and training staff on data literacy. However, over-reliance on data can lead to complacency and inaccurate reporting.
- Building Trust and Focusing on the Process are Important
Quick and honest conversations in private, followed by sharing with the rest of the team, builds trust. Leaders should also work on building trust between departments by addressing issues one-on-one before discussing in a group setting. It is also important for data to be tailored so that it is understandable for all audiences.