Tag: Scheduling & Utilization

START makes a good case for greater scheduling accuracy

Accurate OR case scheduling is a key performance indicator that is challenging to manage. The published literature often focuses on scheduling algorithms using historical data, the surgeon’s own estimate, or a mix of similar procedures. This mathematical approach neglects the cultural, economic, behavioral, and process challenges that impact attempts to…

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By: OR Manager
May 17, 2017
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ECRI Institute white paper on staffing and scheduling

Editor's Note The ECRI Institute has issued a white paper titled, “Responsive staffing and scheduling in aging services: A systems rethinking approach.” Problems in staffing and scheduling can lead to potentially dangerous conditions, which can cause performance gaps in delivery of care and services. To better address these problems, providers…

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By: Judy Mathias
November 9, 2016
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Implications of patient age, ASA status on OR management decisions

Editor's Note Evaluation of patient age and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status as variables can help OR managers better predict turnaround times, which can facilitate scheduling, this study finds. Researchers developed models of turnaround times of 13, 632 OR procedures with respect to multiple variables including surgical schedule,…

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By: Judy Mathias
March 23, 2016
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Data analytics improve odds for predicting surgical case volume

Recommendations emerging from a data analytics project have helped OR leaders at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, better anticipate daily surgical case volume and share that information with their managers. Data gleaned from the project are now being used to predict staffing needs for the OR, anesthesia department,…

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By: OR Manager
February 19, 2016
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New schedule adds efficiency, bolsters caseload

Theoretical advantages exist for both block and nonblock scheduling. Facilities with enough space and staff may be able to schedule cases on the basis of patient and surgeon convenience, but that doesn’t work for facilities with less flexibility. At our facility, problems associated with first-come, first-served booking led to an…

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By: OR Manager
February 19, 2016
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Take time to make time: Involve your team in closing schedule gaps

Turnover time and first case on-time starts are a common problem in most ORs, so leaders are always seeking ideas for improvement. OR Manager recently spoke with two leaders who have had remarkable success in each of these areas.   The Dartmouth-Hitchcock experience When the average turnover time (TOT) at…

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By: OR Manager
July 22, 2015
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Improving OR efficiency with constraint management

Editor's Note Simple changes in preadmission testing and OR scheduling, including appointing a senior nurse anesthetist to help direct OR use, resulted in improvements in OR efficiency and case volume in this study. Substantial improvement was seen in first case on-time starts (39% to 84%), as well as utilization of…

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By: OR Manager
July 7, 2015
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Utilization soars after block schedule is up and running

Block scheduling can be one of the most contentious issues that OR leaders face, but its effectiveness as an efficiency—and therefore cost management—tool makes it worth pursuing. Implementing block scheduling requires time, finesse, and dedication. James X. Stobinski, PhD, RN, CNOR, says it’s easy for OR managers to underestimate the…

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By: OR Manager
August 15, 2014
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Systematic approach to scheduling smoothes out the daily wrinkles

In many surgery departments, schedule management is a daily struggle. Staff work hard to manage case requests, juggle resources, and respond to changes, but errors, inefficiencies, and general frustration persist. The results are frequent case delays and cancellations, low utilization, high costs, low staff morale, and poor surgeon satisfaction. The…

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By: OR Manager
May 12, 2014
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Tracking tool streamlines scheduling, enhances communication with surgeons' offices

Sacred Heart Medical Center RiverBend in Springfield, Oregon, began OR optimization efforts soon after moving to a new facility in August 2008. Because of the US economic downturn around that same time, the hospital launched several initiatives to make the most of available resources, including a Lean process to improve…

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By: OR Manager
February 20, 2014
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