One of the most expensive assets in the hospital, the operating room (OR), is also one of the most challenging to utilize efficiently.
Managing use of the OR is complex and time consuming. Leadership works to drive optimal financial results by ensuring that valuable time, rooms and specialized equipment are leveraged to their utmost capacity. But despite their best efforts, results often fall short of expectations. A 2020 OR Manager study cited OR utilization hovering around 60% in most facilities.
Leadership is faced with the challenge of both improving utilization while serving the varying interests of stakeholders throughout the OR. Optimizing use of the OR requires solving the complex math involved in matching demand for surgical services with the available supply of resources. Doing so successfully not only optimizes OR resources like staff, rooms, equipment and supplies, but also serves the needs of surgeons, their offices and their patients.