Hospital Adopts Surgical Workflow Technology

Looking for a digital solution to more effectively manage the surgical staff and medical device reps in the OR, Rush Oak Park Hospital implemented ExplORer, a workflow platform, for three total joint procedures to evaluate its effectiveness after each procedure.

ExplORer Surgical is a comprehensive intraoperative case support and workflow platform that helps surgical support teams prepare and complete effective surgeries with two-way video for case support and remote proctoring to create a digitized playbook. This technology has been integral during COVID-19 when strict regulations have limited travel and personnel in the OR.

Over the course of eight months, Dr. Vasili Karas, MD, MS, orthopedic surgeon at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush Oak Park Hospital and his team improved confidence in their procedures and reduced challenges stemming from unexpected procedural occurrences, surgeon preferences for instrumentation and room setup, and patient positioning, giving the technology a 9.1/10 score. The team also noted a 30 percent increase in comfort supporting Dr. Karas, and Dr. Karas noted an 80 percent decrease in instrumentation and room setup challenges. As a result of its effectiveness, ExplORer’s technology is now a fully adapted technology within Rush Oak Park Hospital.

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“ExplORer is a paradigm shift in surgical efficiency. We will continue to work and leverage this tool in new ways as we navigate COVID-19 and a world now focused more than ever on the remote provision of care,” said Dr. Karas. “Surgeons and hospital teams must take advantage of how technological innovation can enable effective intraoperative guidance to minimize surgeon-reported challenges, improve team confidence, and ultimately work towards maintaining positive patient outcomes.”

ExplORer’s platform is cloud-based and device agnostic, making it accessible on existing hardware in the OR, including mobile devices, desktop monitors, and TV screens. In addition to customized content for each team member in the OR, the platform collects data, allows staff to record timestamps and save annotated images, and assists in creating actionable insights to improve inefficiencies. Also, the company’s customer success team customizes hardware kits to make set-up and video integration simple and easy to use.

“We discovered in our research that 82 percent of the delays and disruptions during cases were caused by preventable issues, such as room setup and positioning errors. This showcased a tremendous opportunity to provide the tools hospitals need to improve operational efficiency,” said Jennifer Fried, CEO of ExplORer Surgical. “Collaborating with Dr. Karas and his team at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush has been instrumental for our team as we continually work to improve our platform and the offerings we provide our medical device and hospital customers.”