How operating room efficiency is understood in a surgical team: a qualitative study.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Surgical Team Dynamics
• Qualitative Research Methods

Background:

• Surgical team building aims to enhance healthcare system efficiency.
• The interpretation of 'efficiency' within operating rooms is complex and varied.
• Understanding diverse perspectives on efficiency is crucial for team performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how surgical team members and leaders understand operating room efficiency.
• To identify the different interpretations of efficiency within a surgical team context.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative study was conducted at a 1100-bed Swedish university hospital.
• Semi-structured interviews were performed with eleven participants (nine team members, two leaders).
• Phenomenography was used for data analysis to understand variations in perception.

Main Results:

• Seven distinct understandings of operating room efficiency were identified.
• Key themes included individual effort, job satisfaction, resource optimization, speed with quality, patient outcomes, and a relative concept.
• Patient care and benefits were central to most team members' definitions of efficiency, with nurses emphasizing timely work.

Conclusions:

• Operating room efficiency is understood through both organizational and individual perspectives within surgical teams.
• The patient remains the central focus, with efficiency linked to maintaining care quality and measuring patient benefits.
• Despite varied individual understandings, surgical teams can perceive themselves as efficient when aligned on patient-centered goals.