Numbers of simultaneous turnovers calculated from anesthesia or operating room information management system data

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Operations Research
• Hospital Management
• Surgical Workflow Optimization

Background:

• Prompt operating room (OR) turnover is crucial for maximizing surgical throughput.
• Simultaneous OR turnovers can lead to delays if staffing is insufficient.
• Anesthesia and OR information management systems offer data for operational analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To statistically quantify simultaneous operating room turnovers.
• To evaluate the impact of adding an additional turnover team on OR efficiency.
• To determine the cost-effectiveness of increased staffing for OR turnover.

Main Methods:

• Collected operating room (OR) data including patient entry and exit times.
• Calculated the number of simultaneous turnovers per minute over 122 four-week periods.
• Utilized statistical analysis and discrete-event simulation to assess staffing changes.

Main Results:

• Increasing from two to three turnover teams reduced mean daily minutes of simultaneous turnovers exceeding team capacity by 19 minutes.
• The value of extra personnel was estimated at 4.0% of OR staff, surgeon, and anesthesia provider time.
• Discrete-event simulation supported the findings, indicating likely or exceeding reductions in turnover times.

Conclusions:

• Simultaneous turnovers can be precisely calculated minute-by-minute over a year.
• Adding a turnover team provides valuable data for assessing the need for increased staffing.
• This data-driven approach aids in optimizing operating room workflow and resource allocation.