OR Traffic Control
Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA
President and CEO, Society of Physician Entrepreneurs, another lousy golfer, terrible cook
It's likely that your last flight didn't arrive on time, particularly if you flew United. Just wait until you book your surgery.
Delayed start time in the operating room, one of the most expensive places in a hospital with BIG delayed or unused opportunity costs, are a fact of life for most surgeons and OR staff. Many have tried to fix the problem and some has succeeded. Most have failed. We need a better way, The solutions derive from leading change and creating the structure, systems and culture to get it right.
Here are some potential solutions:
1. Asset tracking devices on patients when they arrive
2. Better management information systems in the OR
3. Use of social media to educate and inform
4. Tracking patients the way Fedex tracks packages
5. A system of incentives that rewards high performance with block and start times.
6. Better team communications tools
7. Get trained demand managers to run the OR front desk
8. Educate perioperative service managers
9. Penalize surgeons and other medical staff who are chronic offenders. Reward those who get it right.
10. Better online preoperative assessment
11. Use AI to improve productivity
12. Apply techniques to change OR personnel and patient behavior and give them the tools to show up on time.
OR efficiency takes a lot of people and great systems to get it right.
Delayed OR start times creates anxiety for patients, wastes money, disrupts follow on cases as delays cascade through the day, creates staffing problems and stresses already hassled medical personnel. We can get this right even if United can't.
Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA is the President and CEO of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs
Professor and Vice Chair - Clinical Affairs, Chief Liaison - Surgical Services
9 年The buzz word today in the health care in OR efficiency which has little to show in terms of improved quality of patient care or for that matter patient outcome. In my opinion efficiency in the enemy number of quality and patient outcome. In the perioperative environment one needs to be realistic, and there is room for healthy rate of case cancellations and case delays....care about the patients, one patient at a time. I have already seen enough disasters that I can directly attribute to the drive to OR efficiency...And compare the cost of running the OR and inventory management of today with what it was 10 years ago with reasonable use of technology....we have been penny wise and pound foolish..Our OR management expenses is totally out of control...
President and CEO, Society of Physician Entrepreneurs, another lousy golfer, terrible cook
9 年Congats. Perhaps you can show us the way.