Successful interventions to reduce first-case tardiness in Dutch university medical centers: Results of a nationwide operating room benchmark study

Abstract Background First-case tardiness is still a common source of frustration. In this study, a nationwide operating room (OR) Benchmark database was used to assess the effectiveness of interventions implemented to reduce tardiness and calculate its economic impact. Methods Data from 8 University...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of surgery 2014-06, Vol.207 (6), p.949-959
Main Authors: van Veen-Berkx, Elizabeth, M.Sc, Elkhuizen, Sylvia G., Ph.D, Kalkman, Cor J., M.D., Ph.D, Buhre, Wolfgang F., M.D., Ph.D, Kazemier, Geert, M.D., Ph.D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Medical Centers - economics
Academic Medical Centers - organization & administration
Appointments and Schedules
Benchmarking
Collaboration
Data analysis
Economic impact
Economics
First-case tardiness
Focus Groups
Hospital Charges
Hospitals
Humans
Meetings
Netherlands
Operating room
Operating Rooms - utilization
Organizational Policy
Patient satisfaction
Patients
Performance indicators
Studies
Surgery
Time Factors
Utilization
Variance analysis
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Summary:Abstract Background First-case tardiness is still a common source of frustration. In this study, a nationwide operating room (OR) Benchmark database was used to assess the effectiveness of interventions implemented to reduce tardiness and calculate its economic impact. Methods Data from 8 University Medical Centers over 7 years were included: 190,295 elective inpatient first cases. Data were analyzed with SPSS statistics and multidisciplinary focus-group study meetings. Analysis of variance with contrast analysis measured the influence of interventions. Results Seven thousand ninety-four hours were lost annually to first-case tardiness, which has a considerable economic impact. Four University Medical Centers implemented interventions and effectuated a significant reduction in tardiness, eg providing feedbacks directly when ORs started too late, new agreements between OR and intensive care unit departments concerning “intensive care unit bed release” policy, and a shift in responsibilities regarding transport of patients to the OR. Conclusions Nationwide benchmarking can be applied to identify and measure the effectiveness of interventions to reduce first-case tardiness in a university hospital OR environment. The implemented interventions in 4 centers were successful in significantly reducing first-case tardiness.
ISSN:0002-9610
1879-1883
DOI:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2013.09.025