Evidence based models for evaluating operating room performance

• Main Author: Al-Ojaimi, Abdulkarim
• Published: Cardiff University 2012
• Subjects: 617.9; R Medicine (General)
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.571712

The operating room (OR) within a hospital environment is one of the most expensive functional areas, yet the use of the OR also provides hospitals with an essential source of income. However, at present, there are variations on how to evaluate the performance of ORs, since there is no clear and full explanation of the concept and methods used for evaluation. The overall aim of this thesis is to develop an evidence based Operating Room Assessment Framework (ORAF) to evaluate Operating Room performance with clear and complete guidelines that can be used by operating room managers, directors or any other medical professionals to evaluate operating room performance, determine OR planning and scheduling efficiency, OR workload and OR utilization. The resulting Operating Room Assessment Framework will assist targeted healthcare professionals in their quest to evaluate, monitor and improve overall Operating Room efficiency. The OR management systems of eight tertiary and teaching hospitals in three countries (Japan, Canada and Saudi Arabia) have been examined from 2010 to 2012, which include more than 98,500 procedures. The Operating Room Assessment Framework (ORAF) involves three important elements of Operating Room performance, namely: OR scheduling level, the type of OR workload, and OR utilization. These elements can simply be read to reach the end result, which includes three types of scheduling levels: under scheduling, ideal scheduling and over scheduling; five types of OR workload: OR total workload (the gross workload), OR actual workload, over workload, unnecessary workload and unexpected workload; and three types of OR utilization: underutilization, ideal utilization, and 100% utilization with over workload. Through the validation process in different hospital contexts, the ORAF has proven its ability to perform satisfactorily, with accuracy, in line within the research’s objectives.