Put Merlin to Work For You!
Merlin Core
The OR is the financial engine of high-performing health systems, but perioperative leaders are often forced to make decisions in the dark, unsure how to appropriately measure OR performance. Surgical Directions’ Merlin Core solution simplifies this process by helping organizations transform their troves of perioperative data into targeted, actionable insights. Leveraging our decades of clinical and operational experience, we’ve built a reporting package that hospital executives, surgeons, and OR clinical leaders can depend on. Our configurable suite of best-practice perioperative KPIs will arm you with the data you need to sustainably improve OR efficiency and throughput.
Merlin Core benefits:
Consistent and transparent data definitions based on industry best practices
For a 10 OR facility, we often see a $500k revenue increase by adding productive time
Reduced administrative workload for operating room leadership
Convert insights into targeted actions and interventions
20% or greater increase in First Case On-Time Starts after using Merlin for at least 6 months

Merlin Block
Operating room time is a precious resource, and hospital administrators are often asked to choose between competing block requests that can be difficult to reconcile. Merlin Block helps bring objectivity to these challenging conversations, keeping surgeons engaged with personalized reports while providing perioperative leaders with the insights they need to maximize the productivity of the OR. Merlin Block also provides an expedited pathway for surgeons to release unneeded block, freeing up time for additional surgeons and helping to raise the overall efficiency of the OR. Connect with us today to learn how to maximize the use of your OR time.
Merlin Block benefits:
Increased trust in the data from surgeons and key stakeholders
50% improvement in tracking block schedule usage
8% increase in average block utilization performance
Helped find additional capacity that our facilities didn’t even know they had access to
Reduction in out of block minutes

Merlin Pro
Leading a perioperative department requires a robust suite of tools for monitoring operational performance. Merlin Pro provides this for hospitals by combining the benefits of our Merlin Core and Merlin Block solutions, creating a single source of truth for procedural services. Our configurable platform distills decades of clinical insights into a fully integrated package of OR performance indicators, arming perioperative leaders with the insights they need to catalyze growth and accelerate performance improvement initiatives. Connect with us today to learn how our software solutions can take your perioperative performance to the next level.
Merlin Pro benefits:
Improved volume through redesign (400+ cases)
Comprehensive surgeon scorecards with 5+ industry-tested key performance indicators
Improved predictability in your daily schedule

Compare Our Products
Features | Merlin Core | Merlin Block | Merlin Pro |
---|---|---|---|
Surgical Volume | |||
First Case On Time Starts | |||
Turnover Time | |||
Scheduling Lead Time | |||
Prime Time Facility Utilization | |||
Surgeon Day Of Week Utilization | |||
Individual Surgeon, Group, or Service Line Block Utilization Report | |||
Allocated, Released, and Abandoned Block Usage Reports | |||
Unblocked Surgeon Usage |
Merlin Enhancements
Take your subscription to the next level with one of our Merlin enhancements, which can be paired with any of our software solutions. Drawing from our decades of experience as the national leader in perioperative consulting, Merlin Heatmap and Merlin Navigator’s white glove support helps you surface the deep clinical insights required to keep your OR running smoothly.
Merlin Heatmap
Staffing a modern perioperative department is a complex balancing act. If you understaff the department, you run the risk of burning out your staff and unnecessarily verticalizing your daily schedule. If you overstaff the department, you waste your already scarce resources keeping empty rooms open each day. Finding a happy medium requires sophisticated analytical tools that can illuminate the precise needs of your operating rooms. Merlin Heatmap offers first-in-kind insights into the day-by-day and hour-by-hour patterns of the operating room, allowing you to construct a daily schedule that satisfies your staff and preserves your bottom line.
Merlin Heatmap benefits:
Visualize resource needs by department with our flexible reports
Construct tailored nursing and anesthesia staffing plans that reflect the true needs of the OR
Gain insight into the need for dedicated after-hours and weekend coverage

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