Analysis of OR efficiency in ASCs vs hospital outpatient departments

Editor's Note

Ambulatory surgery center (ASC) outpatient procedures were more efficiently performed than those performed at a hospital outpatient department (HOP) in this study.

Of 220 procedures included in the study (114 ASC, 106 HOP):

• mean turnover time was 29.8 minutes for HOP vs 24.5 for ASC
• ancillary time was 32.2 minutes for HOP vs 22.2 for ASC
• procedure time was 77.4 minutes for HOP vs 56.2 for ASC
• exit time was 11.8 minutes for HOP vs 8.5 for ASC
• nonoperative times were 62.9 minutes for HOP vs 48.7 for ASC.

The findings suggest that outpatient procedures are more efficiently performed at an ASC, the authors say.