Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1368868
50 Executive Briefing ORI has worked to improve the safety of donning gowns Surgeons are well aware that the seemingly simple task of donning a gown is neither simple nor safe. Historically, when getting ready, a surgeon has needed a hand putting on their gown, requiring assistance from a nurse, anesthesiologist or technician — who may not be sterile and who has their own responsibilities to prepare all for surgery. As Dr. McBride said, "Everyone recognizes that having a nonsterile assistant help don the gown is not ideal." In addition, even when donned correctly, gowns have not been completely sterile because they have not provided complete coverage of the surgeon's back. In the current OR environment, not being completely covered is problematic. "There's no longer just one sterile field," Dr. McBride said. "There are numerous sterile fields. It's impossible to be compliant with the mandate that you never turn your back to the sterile field because you're surrounded by it." To solve both of these problems, the team at ORI worked to create a gown that completely covered the surgeon's back, which a surgeon could put on alone, without any assistance. The result was the development of the SoloFit® Hoodless Toga. SoloFit provides 360-degree coverage, which reduces the chances of breaking sterility, and can be donned by a surgeon without any assistance. Consistent with ORI's mission, this innovation improves safety and efficiency. The initial response to both DropStop and SoloFit has been overwhelmingly positive. Dr. McBride said, "Those who work in operating rooms really like the idea that people who work in the operating room for a living are solving problems where there hadn't been solutions." ORI expands its product offerings Building on DropStop and SoloFit, ORI saw a need and an opportunity to develop a specialty drape. As Dr. McBride explained, a company had developed a positioning device with an arm that could make doing hip replacement surgery easier, reduce the load on assistants and possibly eliminate the need for an extra assistant. Surgeons liked the concept but were hesitant to adopt it because they didn't see a way to safely drape the device to eliminate concerns about contamination. ORI looked at this problem and came up with a drape solution that allows surgical teams to work with this new device. This drape enhances safety for the patient and staff by maximizing coverage and protection from contamination. Dr. McBride explained that this innovation "completely changed the surgeon's perception of this device and eliminated concern about how to drape it." ORI has also been focused on addressing the problem of surgical smoke in the OR, which may be harmful for people to inhale. The concern about surgical smoke has led several states to pass legislation requiring smoke evacuation devices where electrocautery devices are being used. While there are smoke evacuation devices on the market, in Dr. McBride's experience these devices are cumbersome, difficult to work with and obstruct the surgeon's view. ORI's team realized that by adapting and customizing the DropStop technology, it was possible to provide a smoke evacuation device that freed up the surgeon's hands, didn't obstruct their view and could be positioned in different places during the workflow of the case. ORI tested this solution — named SmokeStop — with several orthopedic surgeons who saw it as a great solution. "This is another way of leveraging the DropStop technology to improve the experience for the people who work in the operating room," Dr. McBride said. "DropStop reduces the risk of infection for patients, but things like SmokeStop are more geared toward improving safety for the operating room personnel." COVID-19 has elevated the focus on OR safety Within hospitals, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected virtually every aspect of operations. While the emphasis on safety in the OR was already high, it has been further elevated. In particular, Dr. McBride has seen two OR trends related to the pandemic. First, because patients have been reluctant to go to hospitals, it has accelerated the shift to ambulatory surgery centers for many procedures, especially hips and knees. In ASCs' smaller ORs, Dr. McBride remarked, "Products like SoloFit are even more imperative to make sure the environment is safe for the patient." The other trend is even greater emphasis on preventing viral airborne viruses by focusing on the OR environment. This trend has accelerated a project that ORI is working on that is focused on designing a new climate control system for the surgical team. Conclusion There remain issues within ORs that can affect patient and staff safety, workflow, efficiency and cost. Operating Room Innovations is leveraging the real-world experience of surgeons and technicians to design practical solutions to these problems. Dr. McBride summarized, "We want to continue to drive improvements in safety, efficiency and value through innovation." n Operating Room Innovations, Inc. was founded by two orthopedic surgeons and two operating room scrub technicians, with 80 years of combined operating room experience. Inspired by personal experience and feedback from other like-minded healthcare professionals, ORI's products continue to be Designed by Surgeons for Surgeons with the primary goal to deliver highly-effective OR solutions dedicated to improve patient outcomes, workflow efficiencies, and operating room budgets.