Nevada OR Nurses Gain Big Efficiencies Using PREFcards

Overview

By modernizing the preference card process with a digital solution, a surgical facility in Nevada enabled real-time card edits instead of semi-annual updates. Over six months, the preference cards tied to the most popular surgical procedures saw a $16,046 improvement in cost accuracy — with potential annual savings projected at over $1.4 million.

The Problem

A twelve-OR Nevada surgical facility was experiencing delays during surgical cases, shortages of needed supplies, and low nurse confidence when picking cases — all due to incorrect preference cards.

The inventory manager explained that prior to using PREFcards, “Preference cards were mostly incorrect… and nurses would usually pick cases from their memory.” When key nurses were unavailable for a case only they knew, non-standardized and often illegible paper cards were handed to other staff.

Making requested edits to preference cards was a low priority compared to other perioperative duties — picking for cases, returning unused supplies, and intraoperative charting — and would often be forgotten entirely. The result was low compliance with real-time card updates.

These problems are not unique to this facility. A study by the American Nurse Journal polled nurses about their current preference card protocols:

• 95% stated preference card inaccuracy decreased their efficiency
• 24% reported that preference cards were only sometimes or rarely accurate

The Solution

The goal was to simplify the preference card process with a specific focus on timely editing. After evaluating various options, PREFcards was selected for its ability to:

• Edit cards at any time from any device or workstation
• Maintain a full history of completed edits
• Integrate real-time inventory data — costs, charge codes, and quantities used per case
• Surface actionable intelligence through a robust reports engine

The Results

By focusing on the top 20 most common procedures, PREFcards helped the facility consistently maintain their highest-use preference cards. These 20 cards — representing only 2.9% of the facility’s total preference cards — accounted for 36.6% of all cases during the study period.

On average, each card was updated every 33 business days, with an average of 4.5 changes per update — additions of supplies, quantity adjustments, and notes updates. Changes that directly lowered supply costs.

Key metrics from the study:

Metric	Result
Total cost variance across 20 cards	$16,046
Average cost accuracy disparity per case	$802
Projected annual savings	$1.4M+

To illustrate the impact of a single inaccurate card: a Shoulder Arthroscopy RCR preference card at this facility had $1,220.79 worth of inaccurate open-and-hold items per case. Left uncorrected, that one card would waste over $153,000 per year (assuming 125 cases annually). That’s one of 20 high-use cards.

Conclusion

PREFcards enabled surgical facility staff to maintain precise, up-to-date preference cards — reducing supply waste, improving surgeon-nurse communication, and ensuring consistent case preparation. Frequent, easy updates translated directly into fewer disruptions and measurable cost savings.

Book a demo to see how PREFcards can help your facility achieve the same results.

---

References

1. Abdulsalam, Y., & Schneller, E. (2019). Hospital Supply Expenses: An Important Ingredient in Health Services Research. Medical Care Research and Review, 76, 240–252.
2. Nurses: The Secret Factor for Better Supply Chains. American Nurse.
3. Reigning in Hospital Supply Costs & Physician Preference Item Spending. Definitive Healthcare.
4. Schead, M., Simonian, W., Joshi, N., & Bathke, M. (2021). Surgical & Perioperative Services — Internal Audit Report No. 12021-601. UC Irvine Internal Audit Services.