Why a Perioperative Assessment is Right for 2023
Hospitals are facing challenging economic times following the COVID Pandemic, including shrinking reimbursements, and an increasing number of patients on Medicare as the population ages. The Operating Room (OR) is typically the largest revenue generator for a hospital, though it is also a significant cost center that has a significant impact on a hospital’s overall clinical, operational, and financial success. As a result, efficient perioperative processes coupled with high-quality outcomes must become the highest priority for institutions.
Efficiency within perioperative services measures time and effort for the entire perioperative process from scheduling the case to discharge from the post-anesthesia care unit. How well the OR runs will likely be defined differently depending on whom you ask. Corazon has found that surgeons, perioperative leaders, and administration typically describe different performance elements when responding to this question. Fast turnover between cases, first case of the day start times, minimal case cancellations, staffing and schedule flexibility, management of supplies and cost, and surgical volumes are a few of the key areas that help define a highly effective surgical department.
Operating Room Key Performance Indicators
As hospitals are increasingly challenged to ensure patient safety while improving operational efficiency and maintaining cost-effectiveness, the good news is that there are keys areas of focus that improve operating room efficiency and operations. An essential component of a Surgical Services process improvement plan is to define and gain consensus on the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will prioritize initiatives and identify problem areas requiring attention. Some of the drivers of the business in the operating room include:
- Volume indicators
- case volume, case minutes, and case minutes by time of day
- Utilization indicators
- Block utilization, OR utilization by day of the week, off-hours surgeries
- Operational / Clinical indicators
- First case start, turnover time, same-day case cancellation rate, add-ons, overtime, complications
- Financial indicators
- Cost per case, clinical hours per case, staffing costs, contribution margin
Perioperative Consultation Can Lead to Positive Outcomes
Successful implementation of perioperative process improvement requires open communication and sharing of information. Perioperative leadership, which includes nursing, physician, and executive representation, is responsible for setting clear expectations, and effective communication through sharing of data and authority to determine initiatives, standards, and goals. With proper management and planning, a strategy for an efficient operating room is a path to the overall hospital achieving positive clinical and financial outcomes.
Corazon offers Perioperative Consulting
Ready to improve your perioperative performance? Corazon, Inc.’s new Surgical Services line is especially suited to optimize your organizations OR services and workflow. Contact the Service Line Experts today for more information!
Register for Corazon’s webinar, “Introducing: Surgical Services from the Service Line Experts” to learn more about Corazon’s latest offering.
Author: Lori Griffith
