title: Increasing operating room efficiency through electronic medical record analysis.
abstract: We used electronic medical record (EMR) analysis to determine errors in operating room (OR) time utilisation. Over a two year period EMR data of 44,503 surgical procedures was analysed for OR duration, on-time, first case, and add-on time performance, within 19 surgical specialties. Maximal OR time utilisation at our institution could have saved over 302,620 min or 5,044 hours of OR efficiency over a two year period. Most specialties (78.95%) had inaccurately scheduled procedure times and therefore used the OR more than their scheduled allotment time. Significant differences occurred between the mean scheduled surgical durations (101.38 ± 87.11 min) and actual durations (108.18 ± 102.27 min; P < 0.001). Significant differences also occurred between the mean scheduled add-on durations (111.4 ± 75.5 min) and the actual add-on scheduled durations (118.6 ± 90.1 minutes; P < 0.001). EMR quality improvement analysis can be used to determine scheduling error and bias, in order to improve efficiency and increase OR time utilisation.
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Attaallah
authors.forename: O M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Elzamzamy
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Phelps
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ranganthan
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Vallejo
mesh_terms: D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational / Q000592:standards*; D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009871:Operating Room Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013527:Perioperative Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D017748:Time Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014903:West Virginia