OPERATING ROOM (OR) UTILIZATION AND EFFICIENCY

Abstract

Introduction: Operating room (OR) is a key department in any institution and itruns with heavy resources. Improper running carries not only loss of revenue but it also effectspatient care. Delays in operating room are deleterious and methods to decrease these delaysare important not only for patient care, but to maximize operating room resource utilization.Objective: To determine the causes effecting the OR utilization and efficiency and to find outways to overcome it. Study Design: Observational Study. Period: 15-01-2011 to 08-06-2011.Setting: King Khalid Hospital, KSA. Patients and Methods: Operating room baseline data wascollected for one month and it was compared with historical data of the last six month. Operatingroom utilization was found to be 41% overall and 34% for elective cases (benchmark 85%). Inpatient pathway, on average 17 min were required from call to ward to enter in operating room.First incision time was 11%=8-8:30, 31% = 8:30-9 and 58%= 9+. Cancelation was 9%. Variousimprovement projects were started including surgical list management, OR rescheduling, starton time dashboard, pre-anesthesia clinic and reinforcement of day surgery program. Results:The results showed 47% improvement in elective OR utilization and OR utilization reaching69%. There was 76% improvement in emergency case booking and 18% improvement in pre/post-op process time. There was 64% improvement in 1st cases before 9 am Conclusion:Integrated management working can improve the working and outcome of the operating roomresulting in high efficiency and best patient satisfaction.