[The Göttingen manual for OR managers]

Economic pressures are forcing German hospitals to take measures to secure the cost effectiveness of medical care. Surgical facilities are particularly affected as a high-cost segment. As a consequence hospital operators and administrators have begun to hire surgical facility (OR) managers whose task it is to implement efficiency-oriented steps and reorganization measures aimed at increasing productivity and profitability of the surgical services. The OR manager is confronted with high expectations in a complex environment full of potential conflicts. With this in mind, the following article defines and comments on the most important aspects of OR managerial duties and responsibilities. The authors are experienced in OR management and are able to give the reader not only the theoretical fundamentals but also recommendations and guidelines which are particularly valuable to those contemplating a career as OR manager.