McKesson Anesthesia Care7 Features of a Great Anesthesia Management Solution

McKesson Surgical Solutions Article


McKesson Anesthesia Care7 Features of a Great Anesthesia Management Solution

Anesthesia management is difficult, no matter the scope of the medical practice. It seems as if there is no easy way to integrate the administration of a service that directly involves a hospital’s supply chain, documentation procedures, and billing protocols – all while maintaining (or even improving) patient safety standards.

As healthcare continues use software solutions to manage a variety of complex operations, it’s time for anesthesia care professionals to look seriously at improving the efficiency, safety, and even profitability of their practice. The industry has recently developed several solutions that  help streamline workflow and integrate every facet of anesthesia management.

But where do you begin? Here are seven features of every great anesthesia management solution:

• Automated cross-checking for drug allergies and other potential medical contraindications, along with ASA modifications for factors such as BMI, age, and other medical conditions.



• Accurate ICD-9 coding for co morbidities.



• Automated clinical documentation. On average, anesthesia practices experience a 19 percent rejection rate when submitting claims – the highest of any type of medical practice. Automated coding helps anesthesia professionals enter the right information at the right time.



• Automated capture of physiological data.



• Easy integration with other medical software. Information entered by anesthesiologists should be immediately available to all clinicians via a complete electronic health record (EHR). Departments responsible for ordering medications and sending out bills should be able to integrate with the anesthesia management system.



• Built-in monitoring and reporting functions. Data transparency drives improvements and fosters accountability and excellence.



• Top-Notch training and service. The users of any anesthesia care management solution need training and ongoing support to maximize its benefits.

Do such solutions really help the healthcare institutions that buy them?  One case study makes the case for a resounding "yes.” After adopting McKesson’s anesthesia management solution, Indiana Surgery Center saw a 40 percent decrease in lost anesthesia charges and an increase in comorbid documentation that improved patient safety. The anesthesia management solution also brought greater job satisfaction to the site’s anesthesia professionals, as they had to wade through much less paperwork.

When should your healthcare institution start looking for an anesthesia management solution?  Now, of course! Without automation, it’s nearly impossible for an anesthesia practice to significantly increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve revenues.