Implementing a computerized operating room management system

The Queen's Medical Center implemented a computerized operating room management system in 1987 that includes surgery scheduling, intraoperative recording, and resource tracking. In addition to the important functional components, the system provides management with a better tool for decision-making. The purpose of this article is to describe this implementation. Background is provided to identify the manual system's deficiencies followed by the anticipated benefits of the computer system. The paper concentrates on Queen's implementation experiences in coding the surgical procedure information, confronting staff anxiety, managing the changing roles of the staff and providing adequate resources. Minimum requirements for a successful implementation include designating an effective project leader, assigning system responsibilities to the user, relieving all operational responsibilities from key members of the project team and providing adequate resources to support the system.