Service Block Time Allocation in the US Army Medical Command

Abstract Service block time allocation is a critical requirement for the optimization of patient throughput and access to care in the Surgical Services Service Line of the US Army Medical Command. The procedure complexity, volume, and diversity across 25 facilities create significant variation in se...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:AORN journal 2016-11, Vol.104 (5), p.417-425
Main Authors: Welder, Matthew D., Warhurst, Keith A., Anderson, Wesley J.L., Salazar, Frank D., Kertes, Steven S., Baxter, Andrew C., Stoddard, Douglas R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anesthesia & Perioperative Care
Armed forces
backlog
Health care access
Health care delivery
Hospitals, Military - economics
Hospitals, Military - organization & administration
Hospitals, Military - statistics & numerical data
Hospitals, Teaching - economics
Hospitals, Teaching - organization & administration
Hospitals, Teaching - statistics & numerical data
Humans
Leadership
Nursing
Operating Rooms - economics
Operating Rooms - organization & administration
Operating Rooms - utilization
Operative Time
OR schedule
Perianesthesia
Personnel Staffing and Scheduling
service block time
Surgery
Surgical Procedures, Operative - statistics & numerical data
surgical scheduling
utilization
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Summary:Abstract Service block time allocation is a critical requirement for the optimization of patient throughput and access to care in the Surgical Services Service Line of the US Army Medical Command. The procedure complexity, volume, and diversity across 25 facilities create significant variation in service block time. This variation requires the involvement of both the informatics and leadership teams for block time allocation to be effective. This article describes our use of the Army’s Surgery Scheduling System, which includes service block time as an embedded function, to develop a standardized process that helps ensure service block time is optimized. We also present guidelines for block time allocation and offer case studies that demonstrate the application of these guidelines.
ISSN:0001-2092
1878-0369
DOI:10.1016/j.aorn.2016.09.003