Evaluations for New Healthcare Environment Commissioning and Operational Decision Making Using Simulation and Human...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare systems engineering
• Human factors in healthcare
• Quality improvement methodologies

Background:

• Systems-focused simulation and human factors science are crucial for evaluating healthcare environments.
• Simulated events allow for identification of system strengths and weaknesses in healthcare delivery.
• This project details the clinical commissioning of one of Canada's first interventional trauma operating rooms (ITORs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a case study of the preopening phase of an interventional trauma operating room (ITOR).
• To utilize systems-focused simulation and human factors evaluation for healthcare environment commissioning.
• To highlight key evaluation objectives and methods in the ITOR clinical commissioning phase.

Main Methods:

• A multistaged evaluation project involving 24 stakeholder groups.
• Key evaluations included transport routes, operating room (OR) tabletop switching, C-arm usage, and lead access.
• Methods comprised observation, debriefing, time-based metrics, distance metrics, and equipment counts.

Main Results:

• Informed decisions on the most effective, efficient, and safest patient transport route.
• Improved C-arm usage efficiency and significantly reduced time to access lead shielding.
• Identified a new process for OR tabletop switching, mitigating identified safety threats.

Conclusions:

• Systems-focused simulation and human factors evaluation are effective for healthcare environment commissioning.
• This approach optimizes workflows, enhances patient safety, and improves operational efficiency in specialized ORs.
• The findings provide a valuable model for commissioning similar advanced surgical environments.