ECRI Institute's New Robotic Surgery Service Helps Hospitals Brace for Change

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Aug. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Now that Intuitive Surgical, Inc.® has announced that it is decommissioning the Da Vinci S™ surgical robot, hospitals with robotic surgery programs need to think about their robot replacement plans. They also need to see where they stand with robotic surgery. Are they performing the right procedures on the right patients? Have they adopted best practices for safety? Should they plan to expand their robotic surgery program in the future?

ECRI Institute, which has nearly 50 years' experience evaluating the cost, safety, and efficacy of medical devices, announces a new robotic surgery planning service designed to help hospitals and health systems navigate the complexities of robotic surgery.

As part of this service, ECRI Institute's experts work with hospital decision makers to define the clinical, safety, technology, and business requirements of robotic surgery. The service helps hospitals focus on the following critical areas:

• Practicality: Explores the feasibility of implementing a robotic surgery program with evidence-based guidance, surgical caseload assessment, and unbiased purchasing recommendations.
• Patient safety and quality: Examines whether a hospital is implementing best practices to promote exceptional patient care, quality, safety, and clinical operations.
• Cost: Offers a nuanced analysis of the cost-effectiveness of procedures and processes, OR time optimization, robotic-specific consumables, and staff efficiency.

"We developed this service to help hospitals decide if this costly mode of surgery—which currently has limited clinical evidence and the potential for overuse—is appropriate for their needs," says Thomas E. Skorup, MBA, FACHE, vice president, applied solutions group, ECRI Institute.

"Whether hospitals have a robotic surgery program in place or are considering one, we want to help them implement best practices and support their use of informed decision making so their programs are safe and cost effective," he continues.

Earlier this month, ECRI Institute released a robotic surgery infographic, which is available for free download. The infographic is designed to help hospitals and health systems better understand the complexities of robotic surgery and where the technology stands in today's healthcare system.

For more information, or to learn about any of ECRI Institute's other consulting services, please contact ECRI Institute by telephone at (610) 825-6000, ext. 5655; by e-mail at [email protected]; by fax at (610) 834-1275; or by mail at 5200 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462. ECRI's European office can be contacted at [email protected]; ECRI's Malaysian office can be contacted at [email protected]; and ECRI's Middle Eastern office can be contacted at [email protected]. ECRI also offers free resources in our online eNewsletters.

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About ECRI Institute
ECRI Institute (www.ecri.org), a nonprofit organization, dedicates itself to bringing the discipline of applied scientific research to healthcare to discover which medical procedures, devices, drugs, and processes enable improved patient care. As pioneers in this science for nearly 50 years, ECRI Institute marries experience and independence with the objectivity of evidence-based research. Strict conflict-of-interest guidelines ensure objectivity. ECRI Institute is designated an Evidence-based Practice Center by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. ECRI Institute PSO is listed as a federally certified Patient Safety Organization by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Find ECRI Institute on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ECRIInstitute) and on Twitter (www.twitter.com/ECRI_Institute).

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SOURCE ECRI Institute

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