Monitoring operating room turnaround time: a retrospective analysis. Issue 3 (18th April 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Scagliarini, Michele; Apreda, Mariarosaria; Wienand, Ulrich; Valpiani, Giorgia
• Is Part Of: International journal of health care quality assurance. Volume 29:Issue 3(2016)
• Page Start: 351
• Page End: 359
• Publication Date: 2016-04-18
• Subjects: Key performance indicators -- Assessment -- Organizational performance -- Quality assessment -- Process control; Medical care -- Quality control -- Periodicals; 362.1068
• DOI: 10.1108/IJHCQA-08-2015-0105
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0952-6862

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: – Operating room (OR) turnaround time is a key process indicator for hospital business management: delays lead to a reduced surgical interventions per day with a consequent increase in costs and decrease in efficiency. The purpose of this paper is to increase understanding by assessing the process' steady-state behaviour and identifying changes that indicate either improvement or deterioration in quality. Design/methodology/approach: – With this purpose, the authors retrospectively applied Shewhart control charts and exponentially weighted moving average control charts to data extracted from an hospital information system. Findings: – The results showed that statistical process control is able to identify steady-state behaviour process and to detect positive or negative changes in process performance. In particular the authors detected a deterioration in the process performance coinciding with the change in the operating room patient transfer staff. Practical implications: – This study showed that statistical quality control is a valuable tool for monitoring performance indicators. Currently, hospital managers are designing an OR dashboard which also includes the control charts. Originality/value: – The paper highlights the control chart application to organizational indicators allowing an objective OR system performance assessment.