OPME management (Orthoses, Prostheses and Special Materials) is one of the biggest challenges for hospitals and healthcare operators due to logistical complexity, high costs, and regulatory requirements.
Efficient control of these items ensures quality of care, prevents waste, and supports the financial sustainability of healthcare institutions.
A lack of standardization and difficulty tracking OPME can create operational risks and directly impact patient safety. For this reason, adopting best practices and appropriate technologies optimizes processes and reduces costs.
In this article, learn what OPME materials are, the main challenges of OPME management, and best practices for more assertive control. Check it out!
What is OPME?
OPME OPME (Orthoses, Prostheses and Special Materials) is a set of medical devices used in surgical procedures for rehabilitation, correction, or replacement of structures in the human body.
These items are critical for complex treatments, such as orthopedic, cardiovascular, and neurological surgeries, and they have high added value due to the innovation used in their manufacturing.
Assertive OPME management is a challenge for hospitals, clinics, and healthcare operators, as it involves strict inventory control, traceability, regulatory compliance, and supplier negotiation. With technology support, this process becomes more effective and reliable.
What are OPME materials?
The OPME materials list is extensive and covers multiple medical specialties, being required for surgical and therapeutic procedures.
Below are examples of OPME organized by specialty, according to the DataSUS table.
OPME in Orthopedics
- Sacral bar;
- Cephalic component;
- Occipito-cervical plate;
- Radial head prosthesis;
- Interphalangeal prosthesis;
- Metacarpophalangeal prosthesis;
- External fixator;
- Bone fixation screw..
OPME in Cardiology
- Transseptal puncture needle;
- Balloon catheter for peripheral angioplasty;
- Coronary sinus set;
- Cardioverter-defibrillator electrode;
- Vena cava guide and filter;
- Steerable guidewire for angioplasty;
- Multisite pacemaker;
- Drug-eluting stent.
OPME in Nephrology
- Long-term hemodialysis catheter;
- Dilator for double-lumen catheter implantation;
- Metal guidewire for double-lumen catheter insertion;
- Synthetic arteriovenous fistula.
OPME in Transplants
- Long-term hemodialysis catheter;
- Dilator for double-lumen catheter implantation;
- Metal guidewire for double-lumen catheter insertion;
- Synthetic arteriovenous fistula.
OPME for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Dental trays;
- Sagittal guide;
- Retention plate;
- Mandibular prosthesis;
- Prosthesis for major maxillary losses;
- Dynamic mandibular fixator;
- Bone fixation screws and mini-plates.
Desafios da gestão de OPMES
Among the main challenges of OPME management are:
- Complexity and lack of standardization in the OPME market: the diversity of suppliers and the absence of a single standard make it difficult to compare products and manage them efficiently;
- High cost and significant financial impact: OPME represents a large share of hospital costs, requiring careful budget planning;
- Lack of traceability and inventory control: without adequate control, there is a risk of waste, losses, and even improper use of materials;
- Errors in item description and standardization: inconsistencies in information hinder purchasing, billing, and quality control processes;
- Inefficient financial control and risk of claim denials: failures in management can lead to reimbursement refusals by health plans and payers, affecting the institution’s financial viability.
Best practices for OPME management
Excellence in OPME management ensures patient safety and financial sustainability in healthcare institutions.
With technological advances and the growing complexity of medical procedures, managing these materials has become even more strategic. In this scenario, adopting best practices optimizes operations and reduces waste.
Creating internal workflows for control and authorization
Establishing well-defined internal workflows for OPME control and authorization delivers greater transparency and agility to hospital processes.
With clear protocols, delays, waste, and management inconsistencies are avoided. In addition, standardization facilitates audits and improves communication between teams.
Active participation of the multidisciplinary team in the process
Active participation from a multidisciplinary team in OPME management contributes to more assertive decisions aligned with clinical needs. Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and administrators working together promote an integrated view of processes.
As a result, it is possible to reduce errors, improve care quality, and optimize resources. Collaboration strengthens control and efficiency in the use of materials.
Defining technical and administrative criteria for approval
Defining technical and administrative criteria for OPME approval increases control and transparency in the acquisition and use phases. Parameters such as clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and current regulations must be considered.
This standardization minimizes waste, prevents unnecessary purchases, and improves financial management, supporting audits and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
Monitoring costs and performance indicators
Monitoring costs and performance indicators in OPME management supports more assertive administration. Tracking expenses, waste, and replenishment times optimizes resources and reduces financial impacts.
With well-defined metrics, better-informed decisions can be made. This control ensures greater budget predictability and operational sustainability.
Using technology
Adopting technology in OPME management improves operations and material traceability. Automated systems reduce failures, streamline inventory control, and provide greater transparency in managing supplies.
Digital tools also support more strategic decision-making.
4 benefits of technology in OPME management
Technology adoption has become necessary to modernize OPME management in the hospital environment.
With increasingly complex operations, having digital solutions enables more control, speed, and protection. Below are the main benefits of this transformation.
1. Reduced claim denials through information standardization
Technology standardizes information from request to billing, minimizing coding errors, nomenclature inconsistencies, and documentation gaps, which are the main causes of claim denials. By structuring data uniformly and integrating it with hospital systems, interdepartmental communication is optimized, reducing rework.
Digitalization supports alignment with health plan and payer requirements. With fewer inconsistencies, the likelihood of payment refusal decreases.
As a result, hospitals can improve financial predictability and business sustainability.
2. Faster authorization and control processes for OPME
Technology accelerates processes by digitalizing bureaucratic steps that previously depended on paper, phone calls, and manual approvals. With integrated systems, requests are made in a standardized way and automatically routed to the responsible departments.
This prevents bottlenecks and minimizes the risk of delays in procedures that depend on these materials.
The result is a more dynamic, safer workflow with less rework. This speed directly impacts quality of care and the patient experience.
3. Greater safety in clinical and administrative decision-making
With quick access to histories, protocols, and previously defined standards, clinicians and managers can more clearly assess which items are most effective and appropriate for each case.
In this way, decisions are aligned with technical and financial criteria. Information standardization and automated data cross-checking also help identify deviations and inconsistencies.
4. Real-time monitoring of data and processes
With integrated systems, every stage of the material lifecycle can be monitored immediately, from request to use and billing, helping identify bottlenecks, delays, or inconsistencies quickly and enabling immediate corrective actions.
Managers gain clear visibility into operational and financial performance, supporting decisions based on concrete data. This visibility also contributes to compliance with regulatory requirements and audits.
About Pixeon
Pixeon is the company with the largest software portfolio for the healthcare market.
Our solutions serve hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and diagnostic imaging centers, covering both management (HIS, CIS, RIS, and LIS) and diagnostic processes (PACS and Laboratory Interface), ensuring high performance and top-tier management in healthcare institutions.
The HIS/CIS software for hospitals and clinics, Pixeon Smart, is a complete solution that integrates the entire institution into a single system. It is also certified with the highest level of digital maturity by SBIS (Brazilian Society of Health Informatics).
We already have over 3,000 clients in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Colombia, serving millions of patients annually through our platforms.
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