Reducing Operating Room Turnover Time for Robotic Surgery Using a Motor Racing Pit Stop Model.

BACKGROUND: Operating room (OR) turnover time, time taken between one patient leaving the OR and the next entering, is an important determinant of OR utilization, a key value metric for hospital administrators. Surgical robots have increased the complexity and number of tasks required during an OR turnover, resulting in highly variable OR turnover times. We sought to streamline the turnover process and decrease robotic OR turnover times and increase efficiency. METHODS: Direct observation of 45 pre-intervention robotic OR turnovers was performed. Following a previously successful model for handoffs, we employed concepts from motor racing pit stops, including briefings, leadership, role definition, task allocation and task sequencing. Turnover task cards for staff were developed, and card assignments were distributed for each turnover. Forty-one cases were observed post-intervention. RESULTS: Average total OR turnover time was 99.2 min (95% CI 88.0-110.3) pre-intervention and 53.2 min (95% CI 48.0-58.5) at 3 months post-intervention. Average room ready time from when the patient exited the OR until the surgical technician was ready to receive the next patient was 42.2 min (95% CI 36.7-47.7) before the intervention, which reduced to 27.2 min at 3 months (95% CI 24.7-29.7) post-intervention (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Role definition, task allocation and sequencing, combined with a visual cue for ease-of-use, create efficient, and sustainable approaches to decreasing robotic OR turnover times. Broader system changes are needed to capitalize on that result. Pit stop and other high-risk industry models may inform approaches to the management of tasks and teams.

The impact of endometrial ablation technique at a large university women's hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of ThermaChoice uterine balloon system on the practice patterns of endometrial ablations performed at a large university-based teaching hospital. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective chart review was conducted of 226 patients who underwent endometrial ablation. Data were analyzed to determine any change in the type and rate of ablations performed since the introduction of second-generation technologies. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate adjusted risk factors for subsequent admission. RESULTS: A total of 72.1% of all cases were performed with the ThermaChoice uterine balloon. The postoperative admission rate was significantly higher after a balloon procedure (13.7% versus 3.1%, P=.02), with a 10.6% overall incidence of admission. Adjusting for confounding variables, more women were admitted after a balloon procedure, compared with women undergoing hysteroscopic ablation (odds ratio 5.0; 95% CI: 1.1, 22). CONCLUSION: Second-generation endometrial ablation technologies represent frequently utilized and proficient treatment modalities for dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Notwithstanding their facilitative design, clinicians should not lose sight of potential limitations of these new procedures.