Problem Identified
A first case of the day is delayed causing subsequent case delays that use the same physicians, staff, room, or specialized equipment. The result is lost productivity, increased staff overtime, reduced room and equipment availability, and decreased patient, physician, and staff satisfaction.
Solution Implemented
+28%
On-Time First Starts
+30%
Case Volumes
The minute-by-minute tracking of patients and certain staff, physicians, and critical equipment was integrated with the statuses of all cases across more than 20 different departments and groups including pharmacy, labs, blood bank, admissions, SPD, anesthesia, and housekeeping. A real-time, comprehensive schedule was then made transparent to all constituents playing a role in getting first cases to start on time. In addition, preemptive alerts were issued to key personnel whenever critical events under their control were in jeopardy of not occurring on time and had the potential of causing a future delay.
Benefits Documented
The solution implemented has resulted in a 28% improvement in on-time first starts of the day. It has also contributed to a 30% increase in case volumes by allowing additional prime-time cases to be inserted into the schedule. Furthermore, physicians acknowledge increases in their productivity and satisfaction.