Budget Impact of Implementing an Advanced Interventional Suite Platform for Interventional Procedures

OBJECTIVES: Interventional suites are complex, resource intensive environments. New-generation interventional suite platforms aim to target procedural consistency and operational efficiency by providing enhanced usability and workflow. A budget impact model was developed to examine the costs to the hospital of implementing an advanced interventional suite platform to perform interventional procedures.

METHODS: A budget impact model from the US hospital perspective was developed. Clinical inputs were obtained from a hospital workflow study based on upgrading from an existing interventional suite to a new Azurion interventional suite. Patients were compared before and after the implementation of the new system for patient preparation time, procedure time, and post-procedure time. Lab room cost per minute was taken from Potter (2019) and Childers (2018). Costs were inflated to 2022 dollars using the US medical consumer price index and averaged to derive a unit cost per minute. The budget impact was measured for different categories of hospitals based on procedure volume.

RESULTS: In an interventional suite with the new platform, the clinical workflow study showed a reduction of 12% in patient preparation time (p=.003), 17% in procedure time (p=.010), and 28% in post-procedure time (p<.001). Unit costs were estimated at $38 per minute. The procedural efficiency gained by the new platform led to a decrease of $710 per procedure. For high volume hospitals conducting 2,500 procedures annually, the reduction in total costs was demonstrated at $1.7 million per year.

CONCLUSIONS: Hospitals could benefit from upgrading their systems to an advanced interventional suite by reducing procedure times, which can lead to reductions in lab room costs.