The consumer demand for accessible and affordable care is driving patients to specialty clinics and surgery centers, according to Alejandro Badia, MD, the founder and CMO of Doral, Fla.-based OrthoNOW.
Dr. Badia shared three insights on surgery in ASCs:
1. He said is a proponent of "de-hospitalization" through bypassing more expensive healthcare institutions in favor of outpatient surgical centers and clinics.
2. In an article by Dr. Badia published in Miami Medicine, he cited a KNG Health Consulting study that found moving procedures into ASCs from hospitals decreased the cost of treatment.
3. "Too often, patients with orthopedic injuries or other problems would be sent by their physician to a hospital emergency room for expensive care and unnecessary diagnostic tests before being ultimately referred to me for help," Dr. Badia said, citing a study published in the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery that found ASCs are cost efficient options for patients through their small size, specialization of care and engagement with perioperative process improvement.