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. 2024 Sep 24;12(19):1906.
doi: 10.3390/healthcare12191906.

Enhancing Operating Room Efficiency: The Impact of Computational Algorithms on Surgical Scheduling and Team Dynamics

Adriana Vladu  1 , Timea Claudia Ghitea  2 , Lucia Georgeta Daina  3 , Dorel Petru Țîrț  3 , Mădălina Diana Daina  1
Affiliations

Enhancing Operating Room Efficiency: The Impact of Computational Algorithms on Surgical Scheduling and Team Dynamics

Adriana Vladu et al. Healthcare (Basel). .

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Operating room (OR) efficiency is a critical factor in healthcare delivery, influenced by various components including surgical duration, room turnover, staff availability, and equipment preparation. Optimizing surgical start times through systematic strategies such as computational algorithms can significantly enhance OR utilization and management. This study aimed to improve OR efficiency by effectively managing and optimizing surgical start times using a computational algorithm designed to allocate resources more efficiently. Methods: A comparative analysis was conducted over two six-month periods from January to June 2023 and January to June 2024, with an improvement phase implemented between July and December 2023. Results: These measures encompassed training surgical personnel, strengthening the medical team, revising work procedures and hospital regulations, and the integration of a computational algorithm to better schedule and manage surgical interventions. Following the implementation of these comprehensive measures, enhanced management of surgical start times was observed. A statistically significant increase in surgical interventions between 8 and 10 a.m. was noted for the entire OR, rising from 28.65% to 32.13%. While OR occupancy between 8 and 12 a.m. increased from 63.91% to 73.30%, this difference was not statistically significant. However, a notable improvement in average occupancy between 9 and 11 a.m. was observed, rising from 87.53% to 98.07%. Conclusions: The introduction of computational algorithms significantly improved operating room efficiency, particularly in managing surgical start times. Additionally, team coordination improved as a result of more structured scheduling processes. The results indicate that effective management of surgical start times, especially when enhanced by computational algorithms, can positively impact OR utilization, particularly within specific time blocks.

Keywords: degree of operating room occupancy; efficiency; hospital; operating room; surgical intervention start time.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Measures to improve the scheduling of surgical interventions in the operating room.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Surgical intervention start times before and after implementation of measures. Note: before = January–June 2023, after = January–June 2024.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Start time of surgical interventions in four operating rooms before and after implementation of measures. Note: before = Jan–Jun 2023, after = Jan–Jun 2024.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Degree of occupancy of the operating blocks before and after implementation of measures. Note: before = Jan–Jun 2023, after = Jan–Jun 2024.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Degree of occupancy of the operating blocks before and after implementation of measures. Note: before = Jan–Jun 2023, after = Jan–Jun 2024.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Degree of occupancy of the operating blocks before and after implementation of measures. Note: before = Jan–Jun 2023, after = Jan–Jun 2024.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Comparative graph illustrating the degree of occupancy of operating rooms in 2023 (without algorithm) and in 2024 (with algorithm). After the implementation of the algorithm, an increase in the degree of occupancy is observed in most time slots, indicating a more efficient use of the operating rooms. * = statistically significant.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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