Improving operating room efficiency via an interprofessional approach

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Operations Research
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Declining third-party payer reimbursements necessitate improved hospital operating room (OR) efficiency.
• ORs represent a significant revenue source for hospitals, making efficiency crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a 3-year lean, Six Sigma program on OR utilization and performance.

Main Methods:

• A facility-wide approach was implemented in January 2011, involving interprofessional teams and an OR Governance Committee.
• The program focused on examining and optimizing all aspects of OR use.

Main Results:

• Outpatient readiness for surgery increased from 59% to 95%; first case on-time starts improved from 32% to 73%.
• Block utilization rose from 68% to 74%, actual room utilization from 56% to 68%, and case volume by 9%.
• Personnel costs decreased by 14% due to reduced overtime, and annual voluntary OR staff turnover dropped from 28% to 11%. Annual revenues increased by over 10%.

Conclusions:

• A coordinated initiative to enhance OR performance yielded substantial improvements in patient access and case efficiency.
• The program led to better staff satisfaction and positive financial outcomes for the hospital.