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On the use of planning models in the operating theatre: results of a survey in Flanders
Author(s) -
Cardoen Brecht,
Demeulemeester Erik,
Van der Hoeven Jessie
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the international journal of health planning and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1099-1751
pISSN - 0749-6753
DOI - 10.1002/hpm.1027
Subject(s) - schedule , scheduling (production processes) , operations management , health care , operations research , business , computer science , medicine , management , engineering , economics , economic growth
This paper presents an overview of the operating theatre planning and scheduling practice of hospitals in Flanders (Belgium). An electronic survey was sent to 95 hospitals in which surgeries are performed, which eventually resulted in a response set of 52 hospitals (55%). The questionnaire did not only focus on issues related to the elective (inpatient and outpatient) planning and scheduling process, but also questioned how hospitals currently deal with the occurrence of non‐elective surgeries (urgencies and emergencies). We indicate what goals health managers try to achieve and how this planning is established. We furthermore pay attention to some possible disruptions to the schedule and the corresponding anticipatory methods. Despite the proliferation of computerized planning and scheduling procedures proposed by the scientific community, the implementation rate of satisfying technological planning or evaluation systems still seems to be low. In order to increase the operating theatre efficiency, a closer cooperation between the academic institutions and the practitioners should be encouraged. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.