Multidisciplinary Equipment Usage Bolsters French Private Hospital’s Bottom Line

At Clinique Clairval, the monoplane system is run by cardiology alone, but by sharing the better-equipped biplane installation, essential for interventional neuroradiology, the hospital can ensure top quality across the board while making a quicker return on its investment. This opens up the possibility of more frequent equipment updates, meaning that the institution can always offer its patients the best available technology. At the same time, various positive side effects have been observed, such as increased collaboration across disciplines and improvements in staff skills as well as greater satisfaction as employees learn about other kinds of interventions. The biplane system also helps stroke patients. “In France, there are few neurosurgical centers,” says Levrier. “Stroke care is urgently needed.”

Such multidisciplinary cooperation is still unique in France, says Levrier. “We’re the only private hospital in France doing these kinds of neurointerventions,” he says. “The others are academic university hospitals, where the biplane is usually dedicated to neuro. They aren’t so worried about financial issues.” The biplane system has brought clinical benefits in a number of different procedures including auricle closure, permeable foramen closure, and stroke management. It has also allowed the development of innovative spinal interventions in collaboration with neurosurgeons and reductions in contrast media use when imaging children.
Even a decade ago, Levrier knew that he and his colleagues needed biplane technology. But how could they justify the extra cost if the system were to lie dormant for half the day? With a few exceptions, such as pediatrics (due to the reduced need for contrast media), cardiologists feel that they can do the job with the single plane system.

Nobody remembers any problems or even a kink in the sharing process. They divided the five weekdays into ten half-day segments. With its greater stream of patients, cardiology had six of these segments and occasionally even uses a spare hour on the neuroradiology calendar. “Sometimes the interventional neuroradiologists have a light schedule and we can use the biplane,” says Collet. “It depends.” By optimizing the schedule, the hospital can avoid paying overtime to technicians, thereby saving money. Levrier adds: “There’s no problem working together and sharing the room, as long as we have mutual respect. We can mix cultures. It’s never a disadvantage. We feel enriched. It’s really about human relationships.”

Beyond the obvious, the human relationships are among the main benefits of the multidisciplinary approach. “It’s quite exceptional to see this convergence,” says Collet. “We managed to bring together two very different specialties, the staff, the timetable, and the reception of emergencies. At the end of the day, it works well.”
The technicians have become proficient in both specialties. “It’s better because it allows the staff to avoid doing the same thing all the time,” says Levrier. “It’s also good for the staff and the anesthesiologists to have this versatility.”
Ultimately, for private hospitals, it all comes down to the bottom line. “It depends on the economic healthcare model, but one thing makes sense,” says Levrier. “If you use a machine eight hours a day instead of four, it’s better. It’s that simple.”