Improving Organizational Performance: Decreasing Operating Room Turnaround Time

Abstract

Abstract : Potomac Hospital, a 153 bed community hospital in Prince William County, Woodbridge, VA, endeavored to decrease the Operating Room (OR) turnaround time from over double industry standards to 20 minutes. Performance Improvement teams streamlined operations by focusing on surgical services leadership, patient scheduling and scheduling system upgrade, and other factors affecting OR turnaround time. Turnaround time was measured at three stages, baseline at initial review (Aug 97); Nov 97 during process review, and Mar 98 during initial performance improvement implementation. The data showed that while the goal of 20 minutes turnaround time was not achieved during the seven month time frame, significant increases in the number of cases to achieve 15 - 20 minute turnaround times were attained; however, other turnaround times of over 65 minutes affected the mean significantly. Recognizing that performance improvement efforts are long term, Potomac Hospital leadership has made a commitment to the long term performance improvement efforts with favorable outcomes.