Transradial Access Services: A strategic imperative for high-performing hospital systems

Thursday, July 16, 2015 | Ginger Biesbrock

 

Many hospital-based cath labs have the same immediate goals:

• reduce costs per case
• improve throughput and daily efficiency to include same-day discharge
• keep clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction results high

The adoption of transradial access for diagnostic catheterizations and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) is a means to achieve them.

Though only about 20% of the overall diagnostic cath and PCI volume is performed via transradial access, the numbers are steadily rising. Facilities that have embraced this technique have a much greater chance of aligning their clinical care practices to the goals of executive management, the attributes of Healthcare’s Triple Aim and reimbursement strategies of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The radial artery is more superficial than the femoral artery, and therefore, access is easier. The benefits of accessing a superficial artery are seen in several quality outcomes including mortality, bleeding complications, and major adverse cardiovascular events.

Radial access favorably influences cost drivers of PCI by reducing cost per case:

• Major complications are reduced. These reduced costs are associated with interventions, diagnostic testing, and increased length of care associated with complications.
• Hemostasis time is reduced and managed with less staff.
• Third, the length of stay is reduced, with less bed rest and earlier ambulation.

If a program performs 1,000 PCI cases per year using the transradial approach, there could be an $800,000 cost savings.

The transradial approach has also been found to improve patient satisfaction because radial procedures are more discrete and less painful.

In an era when every facet of health care delivery is open to redesign and normal patterns of payments are being challenged, adding transradial access services should be seen as a very positive step. It is hard to argue with a change to a PCI program that, when done correctly, provides improved quality outcomes, decreased costs, and increased patient satisfaction.

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Ginger Biesbrock, PA-C, MPH, is Vice President and Senior Consultant with MedAxiom Consulting. She may be reached at [email protected].

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