Evaluation of Operating Room inefficiencies and their impact on Operating Room duration using a Surgical App

Abstract

BackgroundEfficient utilization of the operating room (OR) is essential. Inefficiencies are thought to cause preventable delays. Our goal was to identify OR incidents causing delays and estimate their impact on the duration of various general surgery procedures. MaterialsThree trained observers prospectively collected intraoperative data using the ExplORer Surgical app, a tool that helped capture incidents causing delays. The impact of each incident on case duration was assessed using multivariable analysis. Results151 general surgery procedures were observed. The mean number of incidents was 2.7 per each case that averaged 109min. On average, each incident caused a 2.8minutes delay (p<0.001), however, some incidents were associated with longer delays. The procedural step of each procedure most susceptible to incidents was also defined. ConclusionThe identification of the type of incidents and the procedural step during which they occur may allow targeted interventions to optimize OR efficiency and decrease operative time.