Studies from Ambu USA and the Mayo Clinic are driving a shift in the medical field towards disposable cystoscopes , due to their benefits in improving patient outcomes and healthcare efficiency.
A study published in BMC Urology reveals that doctors save 20 minutes daily when using a new cystoscope for each patient, based on a schedule of eight patients per day. This study aimed to identify the labor time differences after converting to single-use cystoscopes at a large urology ambulatory surgery center (ASC).
The results showed that single-use cystoscopes are more time-efficient, saving an average of 151 seconds (2 minutes and 31 seconds) per cystoscopy in pre-procedure preparation and post-procedure breakdown compared with reusable scopes.
This time savings translates to substantial enhancements in clinical capacity and workflow, according to the research, offering hospitals the flexibility to increase patient volume or allocate time to administrative tasks.
A Mayo Clinic study published in Urology Practice, meanwhile, underscores the patient safety benefits of single-use cystoscopes.
Patients who underwent a cystoscopy procedure with a reusable scope had higher post-operative encounters, urine cultures and hospitalizations.
In contrast, procedures performed with a single-use cystoscope demonstrated a lower incidence of post-procedure encounters and positive urine cultures. This research underscores the significance of patient safety and efficiency optimization in medical procedures, according to the study’s authors.
Dr. David Thiel, chief of clinical practice at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, elaborated on the study’s findings in an interview with Urology Times. He noted that patients examined with single-use scopes had fewer engagements with the healthcare system, measured by metrics such as phone calls, urine cultures, and comparable rates of urinary tract infections and bladder tumor surveillance.
Recognizing the challenges involved in instrument reprocessing and repair rates, the urology clinic gradually transitioned to single-use cystoscopes. Between June and September 2020, urologists at the Mayo Clinic conducted 506 cystoscopy procedures using reusable cystoscopes. From February to May 2021, the clinic carried out 494 procedures with single-use cystoscopes.
The transition to single-use endoscopes carries with it other considerations and implications. Healthcare clinics should weigh the impact of costs, , and healthcare resource utilization.
The combined findings of these two studies suggest a future where single-use cystoscopes become standard, experts say, enhancing patient care and healthcare efficiency.
