A multi-interventional plan could curb surgeons' late arrivals, a major cause of first-procedure delays in the operating room, according to research published in the AORN Journal.
With a focus on physician accountability, hospital committee members developed a plan that required surgeons to document their arrival times and report their daily attendance. Surgeons were also e-mailed daily reminders to arrive 20 minutes prior to their first procedure. In two weeks, this multifaceted plan resulted in a 13 percent decrease in first-procedure OR delays. As more time passed, the improvement continued, and initial on-time start rates improved from 24 percent to 80 percent.
Read the study about OR start times.
Read other coverage about OR efficiency:
- Length of Surgery, Blood Loss Are Top Stress Factors for Surgeons
- Study: ACS' Recommendation for Trauma Patient Triage May Not Be Feasible
- Triage Sessions, Other Measures Taken to Improve Patient Flow at Montefiore Medical Center
With a focus on physician accountability, hospital committee members developed a plan that required surgeons to document their arrival times and report their daily attendance. Surgeons were also e-mailed daily reminders to arrive 20 minutes prior to their first procedure. In two weeks, this multifaceted plan resulted in a 13 percent decrease in first-procedure OR delays. As more time passed, the improvement continued, and initial on-time start rates improved from 24 percent to 80 percent.
Read the study about OR start times.
Read other coverage about OR efficiency:
- Length of Surgery, Blood Loss Are Top Stress Factors for Surgeons
- Study: ACS' Recommendation for Trauma Patient Triage May Not Be Feasible
- Triage Sessions, Other Measures Taken to Improve Patient Flow at Montefiore Medical Center