The operating theatre as a catalyst for quality care

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Hospital Infrastructure
• Surgical Quality Improvement

Background:

• Operating theatre quality is vital for patient safety and outcomes in multispeciality hospitals.
• Understanding influencing factors is crucial for optimizing surgical environments, especially in emerging economies.
• Previous research has not fully explored the interplay of managerial and infrastructural elements on operating theatre quality in India.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the factors influencing operating theatre quality in Indian multispeciality hospitals.
• To assess the impact of specific infrastructural elements (HEPA filters, automated doors) and managerial practices (waste management, workflow) on quality.
• To investigate the moderating role of operating theatre management.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Donabedian quality of care framework.
• Employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) for data analysis.
• Collected data from 483 respondents (theatre staff, nurses, surgeons).

Main Results:

• All investigated factors significantly influenced operating theatre quality.
• Operating theatre management demonstrated the strongest positive effect on quality.
• Medical waste management and unidirectional workflow also showed significant impacts.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing operating theatre management and infrastructure is essential for improving surgical suite quality.
• Findings provide actionable insights for healthcare policymakers and hospital administrators.
• This research contributes to the understanding of surgical environment quality in developing economies.