Skip to main content

Three Keys to Optimizing Efficiency and Productivity in the Operating Room discusses the challenges faced by hospitals and health systems in delivering care efficiently and productively, particularly in the operating room (OR) and procedural areas. These areas generate the highest potential revenue of any area in a hospital, but misaligned incentives and inefficient practices threaten that margin. The contentious culture within the OR stemming from a lack of communication, collaboration, and cooperation among key stakeholders is a major cause of inefficiency. The white paper proposes a threefold solution to address this issue.

  • A dedicated governance/management structure – The governance structure involves forming a surgical services executive committee and a management committee, as well as performance improvement teams comprised mainly of nurses.
  • Data and benchmarking of best practices – The use of data and benchmarking is essential to direct and manage operations and identify weak spots in the perioperative process.
  • Performance reporting – Managing performance through reporting is essential. Software, like Merlin™, can help streamline reporting capabilities.

The solution can take one to two years to optimize but the effort results in maximizing efficiency and productivity while maintaining or improving clinical quality.

Author

  • Dr. Tom Blasco

    Thomas Blasco MD, MS has 40+ years of clinical experience as an anesthesiologist/intensivist working in and managing tertiary care level hospital operating rooms, critical care units and free-standing ASCs. For over two decades, as a founding partner of Surgical Directions, working with scores of clients, he has become a recognized leader in successful organizational improvement of patient-centric surgical care.


At Surgical Directions, We Offer a Variety of Perioperative Optimization Services.

Dr. Tom Blasco

Thomas Blasco MD, MS has 40+ years of clinical experience as an anesthesiologist/intensivist working in and managing tertiary care level hospital operating rooms, critical care units and free-standing ASCs. For over two decades, as a founding partner of Surgical Directions, working with scores of clients, he has become a recognized leader in successful organizational improvement of patient-centric surgical care.