Surgical success and patient safety significantly depend on the correct supply of appropriately sterilized, functional surgical instruments. This responsibility lies with the sterile processing departments (SPD) in hospitals. Although the processes involved in instrument supply by far make up the largest share of the cost of secondary processes at operating room (OR) suites with an average of 40%, they remain largely unexplored.

The recent push towards digitalization of hospitals through the federal government, for example through the Hospital Future Act (Krankenhauszukunftsgesetz - abbr. KHZG), and the concurrent development of innovative digital and intelligent resource-saving solutions offer unprecedented chances to optimize these processes, thereby significantly reducing healthcare costs while enhancing patient safety in the OR. To give an overview over the magnitude of the potential benefit, with more than 9,000 operating theatres and a total of 15,918,053 inpatient operations performed throughout 2022, and an average sterile processing cost per surgery of approx. €55.00, the total cost of sterile processing per year in Germany is approximately €950,000,000. Even a mere 5% cost reduction through digitalization would reduce the annual costs by about €48,000,000. These savings can be invested in the quality of treatment and improvement of the patient experience.