Estimating Obstetric Anaesthesia Workload: Number of Deliveries Compared to Time-Based Workload

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Anesthesiology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Current obstetric anesthesiologist workload estimation relies on delivery volume, which may not accurately reflect clinical demands.
• This study aimed to determine if incorporating procedure type, duration, and shift length improves workload prediction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of workload estimation in obstetric anesthesiology.
• To compare workload predictions using delivery volume versus a time-based model incorporating procedure details and shift duration.

Main Methods:

• Electronic medical records from an academic center were analyzed for 12 months of maternal deliveries.
• Data included delivery type, anesthetic procedures, and shift timing (weekday, weeknight, weekend).
• A time-based workload was calculated by multiplying delivery type by estimated procedure time, normalized for shift duration.

Main Results:

• A total of 4,598 deliveries were analyzed, with a 32% cesarean rate and 85% labor epidural rate.
• Weekday shifts showed a higher time-based workload ratio (0.68 ± 0.12) compared to weeknights/weekends (0.36 ± 0.07).
• Workload estimation solely by delivery count suggested 41% less weekday workload, while the time-based model indicated an 89% greater weekday workload.

Conclusions:

• Obstetric anesthesiology workload is significantly underestimated when based solely on delivery numbers.
• Accurate workload assessment requires consideration of specific analgesic/anesthetic procedures and their estimated times.
• Incorporating procedure duration and shift length provides a more precise measure of clinical workload.