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Using lean methods to improve OR turnover times
Author(s) -
Leslie Marshall,
Hagood Charles,
Royer Adam,
Reece Charles P.,
Maloney Sara
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
aorn journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1878-0369
pISSN - 0001-2092
DOI - 10.1016/s0001-2092(06)63971-9
Subject(s) - health care , management , vice president , center (category theory) , healthcare system , operations research , library science , medicine , political science , engineering , computer science , law , chemistry , economics , crystallography
ridge Medical Center, part of the HCA Tri-Star Division, Chattanooga, Tenn, were experiencing difficulty meeting OR turnover goals. Extended turnovers increased patient and physician wait times and disrupted flow in the OR suite. The team averaged 20 minutes to complete room turnovers, and in some observed cases, they required 25 minutes. Absent personnel, missing supplies, delayed delivery of the patient to the OR, and undefined responsibilities were just a few of the factors affecting the team’s turnover efficiency. Additionally, analysis of historical performance revealed a large degree of variation in room turnovers, indicating a lack of consistency within the process (Figure 1). The challenge for the OR staff was to reduce wait times by improving room turnovers while increasing process consistency to positively affect patient safety.