Reducing Start Time Delays in Operating Rooms

• Published in: Journal of quality technology 2009, Vol.41 (1), p.95-109
• Main Authors: DOES, Ronald J. M. M, VERMAAT, Thijs M. B, VERVER, John P. S, BISGAARD, Søren, VAN DEN HEUVEL, Jaap
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Business metrics; Computer science; control theory; systems; Control theory. Systems; Cost control; Cost reduction; Departments; Efficiency; Exact sciences and technology; Hospitals; Inference from stochastic processes; time series analysis; Mathematics; Operational research and scientific management; Operational research. Management science; Patients; Probability and statistics; Process control. Computer integrated manufacturing; Quality of care; Reliability theory. Replacement problems; Scheduling; Scheduling, sequencing; Sciences and techniques of general use; Six Sigma; Statistics; Studies; Surgery; Variance analysis
• ISSN: 0022-4065; 2575-6230
• DOI: 10.1080/00224065.2009.11917763

Health care today is facing serious problems: quality of care does not meet patients' needs and costs are exploding. Inefficient utilization of expensive operating rooms is one of the major problems in many hospitals worldwide. A benchmark study of 13 hospitals in the Netherlands and Belgium showed that, for a variety of reasons, surgery consistently started too late. Statistical techniques used during the project were statistical graphics, Pareto charts, histograms, box plots, time-series plots, Box-Cox transformations, and ANOVA to determine possible influential factors. It is shown that anesthesia technique and specialty are influence factors. However, the poor planning and scheduling process turned out to be the most important factor in the delay of start times. After introducing a new planning process, the hospitals involved were able to gain substantial cost savings, increased efficiency, and substantial reductions of the delay in start times for surgery.