reduction in error rate
per hospital SPD
error cost reduction
per SPD per year
system-wide saving opportunity per year
Background
In 2024, Incision partnered with OhioHealth to standardize and support the onboarding and in-service education across 13 hospital Sterile Processing Departments (SPDs). The goal was to implement a scalable, high-quality training platform to boost confidence and performance among SPD associates, reduce the burden on preceptors and educators, and standardize best practices across the system. Longer-term aims included increasing certification rates, strengthening audit-readiness and regulatory compliance, and reducing error rates—ultimately supporting the safe and efficient delivery of reprocessing services system-wide.
This report presents operational findings from two hospitals—Mansfield and Marion General—measured nearly one year after implementation. OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital is a 326-bed facility in Richland County, Ohio, and Marion General Hospital is a 250-bed facility serving north-central Ohio. Both offer a broad range of surgical services, including advanced cardiovascular care, orthopedics and sports medicine, and integrated cancer care. Mansfield also serves as a Level III Trauma Center.
To assess operational impact, we compared SPD error rates before and after the rollout and integration of the Incision platform into each hospital’s in-service training. These findings are presented alongside system-wide usage data and staff survey results, published in full in a preceding case report.
Change
Between August 2024 and July 2025, 233 users registered on the Incision platform across 13 OhioHealth facilities. Data-driven implementation, led by local leadership in collaboration with Incision's Customer Success Team, resulted in strong engagement and high levels of usage—with over 80% completing the full 22-course core program. System-wide, OhioHealth staff have earned 4,050 course certificates to date, gaining over 2,000 HSPA- and CBSPD-approved CE credits.
At Mansfield Hospital, 20 SPD staff are registered as users and collectively earned over 400 certificates, reflecting a 91% completion rate of the core training program. At Marion, 22 SPD staff are registered users, earning 481 certificates, representing a 99% completion rate. The Incision platform forms an integral part of both hospitals' SPD onboarding and in-service training programs.
Impact
To assess and quantify impact, SPD error rates from January–June 2024 (pre-implementation) were compared with those from January–June 2025 (post-implementation, after several months of consistent platform use). Both hospitals showed substantial reductions in error rates: a 42% decrease at Mansfield, and a 36% decrease at Marion—resulting in a weighted average reduction of 39.7%, rounded to 40% for clarity.
Using locality-specific benchmarking data (SpecialtyCare, 2021), the pre-implementation cost of SPD errors was estimated at $1.6 million for Mansfield and $900,000 for Marion, averaging $1.25 million per hospital. Extrapolated across the 13-hospital OhioHealth system, this equates to an estimated $16.3 cost of SPD errors for 2024. A 40% reduction in error rate translates to approximately $500,000 in savings per SPD, releasing a system-wide savings opportunity of just over $6.5 million.
These results reflect a significant achievement by both hospitals and underscore the value of high-quality, structured training in improving SPD performance. When scaled, the approach offers a powerful and cost-effective strategy to reduce errors, increase patient safety, and improve financial performance across health systems.
