title: Cancellation of elective oral and maxillofacial operations.
abstract: Our aim was to assess whether the Commission for Health Improvement Performance Indicator value of 0.5% of cancellations on the day of operation or less had been achieved. We reviewed 912 consecutive elective operations, both day case and inpatient over an 8-month period (January-August 2003). A total of 117 procedures (13%) were cancelled for non-clinical or logistical reasons, of which 39 (4%) were cancelled on the day of the operation. Only 3 of the 39 patients who wanted a new admission date within 28 days of cancellation could not be accommodated. The performance indicator value of 0.3% was below the target threshold. An additional 60 (7%) patients had their admissions cancelled the day before operation and 18 (2%) had their operations deferred for a day before they were cancelled. However, these patients have been specifically excluded from the performance indicator.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospitals of Leicester, United Kingdom. karthikomfs@hotmail.com <karthikomfs@hotmail.com>
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sundaram
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sankaran
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Amerally
authors.forename: C M E
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Avery
mesh_terms: D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D001509:Bed Occupancy; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009873:Operating Rooms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors; D014600:Utilization Review; D014850:Waiting Lists