Assessing the Performance of Operating Rooms: What to Measure and Why?

There are multiple indicators that measure different aspects of operating room (OR) performance such as OR productivity, satisfaction of patients and staff involved. The choice of these indicator(s) used for monitoring the performance of ORs often impacts how the processes of ORs are organised and managed. However, there is still no consensus in literature on which indicator(s) should be used for monitoring OR performance. In an effort to promote consensus within the healthcare community, this paper discusses potential performance metrics which may be employed for evaluation of ORs, their rationale and their limitations, and explains why a multidimensional approach is critical in assessment of OR performance.