Outside the operating room: How a robotics program changed resource utilization on the inpatient Ward.

Area of Science:

• Gynecologic Oncology
• Surgical Innovation
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• The implementation of robotic surgery programs can alter inpatient ward dynamics.
• Understanding these changes is crucial for optimizing resource allocation and patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact of a robotic surgery program on the gynecologic oncology inpatient ward.
• To assess changes in patient demographics, resource utilization, and costs.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of medical charts from before and after robotic surgery implementation.
• Collected data included patient characteristics, hospitalization details, and resource utilization.

Main Results:

• Robotic surgery increased minimally invasive procedures (15% to 76%) and elective admissions.
• Inpatient days for elective surgery decreased (36% to 21%), and cost per admission dropped by 59%.
• The ward saw an increase in patients with complex comorbidities, advanced-stage, and recurrent disease.

Conclusions:

• Robotic surgery enables more surgical treatments with reduced inpatient resource use.
• The gynecologic oncology ward's function shifted towards managing complex medical and oncological issues.
• These changes necessitate adjustments in hospital-wide resource planning.