A coordinated patient transport system at Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic improved operating room on-time starts fourfold, according to a study in Journal for Healthcare Quality.
Researchers examined 1,557 patient transfers from intensive care units to ORs from 2006 to 2010 to determine the effect of implementing a coordinated patient transport system at the Mayo Clinic.
OR on-time starts improved fourfold and idle OR time was significantly reduced after the transport system was implemented.
"A coordinated patient transfer process for moving patient[s] from ICUs to ORs can significantly improve OR efficiency, reduce non-value added time and ensure quality of care by preserving appropriate care provider-to-patient ratios," the authors wrote.
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