Physician Preference Cards: How To Use Them To Your Advantage

Prefcards

Physician Preference Cards: How To Use Them To Your Advantage

July 05, 2022

Surgeons handle medical cases differently; as a result, the supplies needed by one are different from
those needed by another. This difference in preference can be hard to keep track of, so hospitals need
all this information written down. Documentation of these preferences is the only way to keep
everything running smoothly in the operating room and the hospital in general. 

Such documentation is only possible through physician preference cards. These cards are more than a
list of supplies since they inform the team what supplies should be available during procedures.  

However, preferences change as innovations come up. Therefore, how do you keep your card updated
to prevent confusion?

Tips for Maintaining Accurate and Printable Surgeon Preference Cards 

Outdated and inaccurate reference cards lead to delays and complicated surgical procedures. If the
nurse needs to leave the OR to 몭nd missing supplies, it is detrimental to the patient under anesthesia. 

Here are some tips to ensure preference cards are accurate:

Digitize and Downsize

Physicians should go through their preference cards to see what’s there. Afterward, they can determine
what they need and what is unnecessary. 

Needs change daily, especially with the introduction of better supplies in the medical 몭eld. Therefore, if
preference cards are not updated, many cards in the OR will be useless. 

Some hospitals still use the traditional pen and paper preference cards. However, the best way to do it
is to go electronic. Using software centralizes the preference card system and makes it easier to modify
and save the card electronically. Moreover, a printablesurgeon preference card makes it easier to
gather supplies. 

Line Up Inventory 

Preference cards affect surgeons, nurses, and the hospital’s supply chain. The activities in the OR affect
other departments too. For example, if a surgeon asks for extra gauze and does not use it when the
supply is low, other departments will need to wait. 

Moreover, unused items have to go back to stock, which is laborious, especially for nurses. If surgeons
open items without using them, nurses have to discard them.  

Physicians should also list supplies in line with the hospital’s master 몭le for items. That makes it easier
for nurses to pick items. Still, the hospital staff in charge of billing 몭nd it easier to track inventory and
bill accordingly. 

When you 몭ll the preference card properly, it means reduced time wastage. Thus, patients get the
attention they need. 

Delegate Responsibilities

It is easy to recommend updating preference cards, but not having staff to help ease the process does
not help. Therefore, hospitals must consider employing a team to handle the project. 

The team should consist of the following:

         A project manager for overseeing the work 

         Two or more OR nurses to observe procedures and interview surgeons to ensure preference
cards are accurate 

         An improvement manager to handle the supply chain 몭ow in hospitals 

         An analyst to input and collect data to ensure progress 

Collaboration with Surgeons 

Surgeons might not fully understand the need to update preference cards. Moreover, they deal with the
front end, while the hospital management handles everything else. Therefore, getting the surgeon’s
opinions while editing preference cards is necessary. 

So, staff should schedule a one-on-one meeting with surgeons to get accurate information for the
preference cards. 
Keeping preference cards updated is crucial. However, a system is necessary to ensure they always stay that way.
A몭er all, improper documenta몭on wastes resources, labor, and 몭me. 

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