Utilization of lean project management principles and health informatics to reduce operating room delays in a vascular surgery practice.

OBJECTIVES: Perioperative inefficiency can increase cost. We describe a process improvement initiative that addressed preoperative delays on an academic vascular surgery service. METHODS: First case vascular surgeries from July 2019-January 2020 were retrospectively reviewed for delays, defined as late arrival to the operating room (OR). A stakeholder group spearheaded by a surgeon-informaticist analyzed this process and implemented a novel electronic medical records (EMR) preoperative tool with improved preoperative workflow and role delegation; results were reviewed for 3 months after implementation. RESULTS: 57% of cases had first case on-time starts with average delay of 19 min. Inappropriate preoperative orders were identified as a dominant delay source (average delay = 38 min). Three months post-implementation, 53% of first cases had on-time starts with average delay of 11 min (P < 0.05). No delays were due to missing orders. CONCLUSIONS: Inconsistent preoperative workflows led to inappropriate orders and delays, increasing cost and decreasing quality. A novel EMR tool subsequently reduced delays with projected savings of $1,200/case. Workflow standardization utilizing informatics can increase efficiency, raising the value of surgical care.

Why enterprise resource planning initiatives do succeed in the long run: A case-based causal network.

Despite remarkable academic efforts, why Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) post-implementation success occurs still remains elusive. A reason for this shortage may be the insufficient addressing of an ERP-specific interior boundary condition, i.e., the multi-stakeholder perspective, in explaining this phenomenon. This issue may entail a gap between how ERP success is supposed to occur and how ERP success may actually occur, leading to theoretical inconsistency when investigating its causal roots. Through a case-based, inductive approach, this manuscript presents an ERP success causal network that embeds the overlooked boundary condition and offers a theoretical explanation of why the most relevant observed causal relationships may occur. The results provide a deeper understanding of the ERP success causal mechanisms and informative managerial suggestions to steer ERP initiatives towards long-haul success.

The High Stakes of Outsourcing in Health Care.

Outsourcing in health care has become increasingly common as health system administrators seek to enhance profitability and efficiency while maintaining clinical excellence. When clinical services are outsourced, however, the outsourcing organization relinquishes control over its most important service value: high-quality patient care. Farming out work to an external service provider can have many unintended results, including inconsistencies in standards of care; harmful medical errors; declines in patient and employee satisfaction; and damage to clinicians' morale and income, and to the health organization's culture, reputation, and long-term financial performance. Research on outsourcing in the areas of emergency medicine, radiology, laboratory services, and environmental services provides concerning evidence of potentially large downsides when outsourcing is driven by short-term cost concerns or is planned without diligently considering all of the ramifications of not keeping key clinical and nonclinical services in-house. To better equip health system leaders for decision-making about outsourcing, we examine this body of literature, identify common pitfalls of outsourcing in specific clinical and nonclinical health services and scenarios, explore alternatives to outsourcing, and consider how outsourcing (when necessary) can be done in a strategic manner that does not compromise the values of the organization and its commitment to patients.

Relationship between hospital specialization and health outcomes in patients with nonsurgical spinal joint disease in South Korea: A nationwide evidence-based study using national health insurance data.

ABSTRACT: Previous studies on hospital specialization in spinal joint disease have been limited to patients requiring surgical treatment. The lack of similar research on the nonsurgical spinal joint disease in specialized hospitals provides limited information to hospital executives.To analyze the relationship between hospital specialization and health outcomes (length of stay and medical expenses) with a focus on nonsurgical spinal joint diseases.The data of 56,516 patients, which were obtained from the 2018 National Inpatient Sample, provided by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, were utilized. The study focused on inpatients with nonsurgical spinal joint disease and used a generalized linear mixed model with specialization status as the independent variable. Hospital specialization was measured using the Inner Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (IHI). The IHI (value ≤1) was calculated as the proportion of hospital discharges accounted for by each service category out of the hospital's total discharges. Patient and hospital characteristics were the control variables, and the mean length of hospital stay and medical expenses were the dependent variables.The majority of the patients with the nonsurgical spinal joint disease were female. More than half of all patients were middle-aged (40-64 years old). The majority did not undergo surgery and had mild disease, with Charlson Comorbidity Index score ≤1. The mean inpatient expense was 1265.22 USD per patient, and the mean length of stay was 9.2 days. The specialization status of a hospital had a negative correlation with the length of stay, as well as with medical expenses. An increase in specialization status, that is, IHI, was associated with a decrease in medical expenses and the length of stay, after adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics.Hospital specialization had a positive effect on hospital efficiency. The results of this study could inform decision-making by hospital executives and specialty hospital-related medical policymakers.

Productivity growth, economies of scale and scope in the water and sewerage industry: The Chilean case.

Evaluating the performance and analyzing the cost drivers of water utilities is of great interest for water regulators and water sector managers. This study uses a quadratic cost function to investigate the existence of economies of scale and scope in the Chilean water and sewerage industry over the period 2010-2017. We also estimate and decompose productivity growth into technical change and scale efficiency change. Technical change is further broken into pure, non-neutral and scale-augmenting technical change. The results indicate that cost savings can be achieved by increases in the scale of production and the separation of water and sewerage services. Productivity progressed favorably throughout the whole period at an annual rate of 8.4%, which was attributed to the scale effect, the adoption of new technologies and a good allocation of resources. Some policy implications are finally discussed based on our findings.

Improving Operating Room Efficiency Using the Six Sigma Methodology.

OBJECTIVE: To help improve operating room efficiency in a tertiary care facility, Six Sigma analysis was utilized. Six Sigma is a technique driven by data, methodology, and a philosophy of continuous improvement to help create a system in which 99.99966% of products are free from defects. This process helps to reduce variability and waste in production, while increasing quality and decreasing cost of the final product. METHODS: The steps of define, measure, analyze, improve, and control (DMAIC) methodology were used. Variables measured included close-to-cut time, patient-out to patient-in time, and room utilization. Statistical analysis was conducted, while an individual was sent to shadow various levels of operating room personnel to help recognize possible shortcomings in the system, including communication and coordination errors. RESULTS: Baseline results were recorded for each surgical specialty to help determine the specific needs of each OR team. Changes in workflow, such as staggered start anesthesia times, were recommended for each level of personnel based on statistical analysis and observation. Results were followed for several years with initial data showing success of the process. However, ongoing construction and resistance to change has prevented further review. CONCLUSION: While Six Sigma can be a valuable tool, it is essential to have a proper leadership team that includes all stake holders. The process requires horizontal and vertical leadership as well as buy-in from all individuals affected by the process. The synergy of these factors is key for success.

Using performance frontiers to differentiate elective and capacity-based surgical services.

BACKGROUND: Acute care surgery (ACS) model of care delivery has many benefits. However, since the ACS surgeon has limited control over the volume, timing, and complexity of cases, traditional metrics of operating room (OR) efficiency almost always measure ACS service as "inefficient." The current study examines an alternative method-performance fronts-of evaluating changes in efficiency and tests the following hypotheses: (1) in an institution with a robust ACS service, performance front methodology is superior to traditional metrics in evaluating OR throughput/efficiency, and (2) introduction of an ACS service with block time allocation will improve OR throughput/efficiency. METHODS: Operating room metrics 1-year pre-ACS implementation and post-ACS implementation were collected. Overall OR efficiency was calculated by mean case volumes for the entire OR and ACS and general surgery (GS) services individually. Detailed analysis of these two specific services was performed by gathering median monthly minutes-in block, out of block, after hours, and opportunity unused. The two services were examined using a traditional measure of efficiency and the "fronts" method. Services were compared with each other and also pre-ACS implementation and post-ACS implementation. RESULTS: Overall OR case volumes increased by 5% (999 ± 50 to 1,043 ± 46: p < 0.05) with almost all of the increase coming through ACS (27 ± 4 to 68 ± 16: p < 0.05). By traditional metrics, ACS had significantly worse median efficiency versus GS in both periods: pre (0.67 [0.66-0.71] vs. 0.80 [0.78-0.81]) and post (0.75 [0.53-0.77] vs. 0.83 [0.84-0.85]) (p < 0.05). As compared with the pre, GS efficiency improved significantly in post (p < 0.05), but ACS efficiency remained unchanged (p > 0.05). The alternative fronts chart demonstrated the more accurate picture with improved efficiency observed for GS, ACS, and combined. CONCLUSION: In an institution with a busy ACS service, the alternative fronts methodology offers a more accurate evaluation of OR efficiency. The provision of an OR for the ACS service improves overall throughput/efficiency.

Addressing the maldistribution of health resources in Sichuan Province, China: A county-level analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The equity of health resource allocation geographically is a contested topic. Sichuan Province, located in Southwest China, has varied topography, providing us with natural materials to explore the determinants of health resource distribution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Spatial panel econometric models were constructed to explore the relationship between health resources and factors such as health care service demand and socioeconomic and demographic perspectives using data from Sichuan Province for eight consecutive years (2010-2017). RESULTS: Health care service demands were found to be a major driving force behind the distribution of health resources, showing that an increase in health care service demands draws health resources to specific counties and surrounding areas. From a socioeconomic perspective, gross domestic product per capita and the average wage show a positive association with health resources. In addition, the total population and proportion of the urban population have diverse effects in regard to health-related human resources but have the same effects on material and financial health resources. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide the Chinese government with evidence needed to formulate and promulgate effective policies, especially those aiming to tackle inequity among different regions.

The usefulness of an ambulatory care pharmacy performance dashboard during the COVID-19 pandemic in a complex tertiary care system.

PURPOSE: To describe the usefulness of an innovative "semi-real-time" pharmacy dashboard in managing workload during the unpredictable coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. SUMMARY: We created a pharmacy dashboard to monitor workload and key performance indicators during the dynamic COVID-19 crisis. The dashboard accessed the prescribing workload from our clinical information system and filled prescriptions from robotic prescription dispensing systems. The aggregated data was visualized using modern tools. The dashboard presents performance data in near real time and is updated every 15 minutes. After validation during the early weeks of the COVID-19 crisis, the dashboard provided reliable data and served as a great decision support aid in calculating the backlog of prescribed but unfilled prescriptions. It also aided in adjusting manpower, identifying prescribing and dispensing patterns, identifying trends, and diverting staff resources to appropriate locations. The dashboard has been useful in clearing the backlog in a timely manner, staff planning, and predicting the next coming surge so that we can proactively minimize accumulation of backlogged prescriptions. CONCLUSION: Developing a dynamic, semi-real-time pharmacy dashboard during unstable circumstances such as those that have arisen during the COVID-19 pandemic can be very useful in ambulatory care pharmacy workload management.

The Scope of Hospital-Based Simulation.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare simulation has expanded dramatically; however, little is known about the scope of simulation in acute care hospitals. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional online survey was used. Participants included nurse executives from acute care hospitals in California. RESULTS: Most organizations (96%) used simulation primarily for education, 37% used simulation for health system integration and systems testing, 30% used it for error investigation, 15% used it for research, and 15% used it for patient/family education. CONCLUSIONS: Organizations have a substantial opportunity to increase the scope of simulation beyond education to include systems integration, clinical systems testing, and other translational simulation activities. This targeted focus on patient safety and quality will allow hospitals to improve financial performance and maximize scarce resources.

The Impact of FASTPASS: A Collaboration With Emergency Department to Improve Management of Patients With Gallbladder Disease and Acute Appendicitis.

BACKGROUND: Efficient Emergency Department (ED) throughput depends on several factors, including collaboration and consultation with surgical services. The acute care surgery service (ACS) collaborated with ED to implement a new process termed "FASTPASS" (FP), which might improve patient-care for those with acute appendicitis and gallbladder disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the 1-year outcome of FP. METHODS: FASTPASS is a joint collaboration between ACS and ED. ED physicians were provided with a simple check-list for diagnosing young males (<50-year old) with acute appendicitis (AA) and young males or females (<50-year old) with gallbladder disease (GBD). Once ED deemed patients fit our FP check-list, patients were directly admitted (FASTPASSed) to the observation unit. The ACS then came to evaluate the patients for possible surgical intervention. We performed outcome analysis before and after the institution of the FP. Outcomes of interest were ED length of stay (LOS), time from ED to the operating room (OR) (door-to-knife), hospital LOS (HLOS), and cost. RESULTS: During our 1-year study period, for those patients who underwent GBD/AA surgery, 56 (26%) GBD and 27 (26%) AA patients met FP criteria. Compared to the non-FP patients during FP period, FP halved ED LOS for GBD (7.4 ± 3.0 versus 3.5 ± 1.7 h, P < 0.001) and AA (6.7 ± 3.3 versus. 1.8 ± 1.6 h, P < 0.001). Similar outcome benefits were observed for door-to-knife time, HLOS, and costs. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the FP process improved ED throughput in a single, highly-trained ER leading to an overall improved patient care process. A future study involving multiple EDs and different disease processes may help decrease ED overcrowding and improve healthcare system efficiency.

Lean in Healthcare: Time for Evolution or Revolution?

ABSTRACT: Lean has gained recognition in healthcare as a quality improvement tool. The purpose of this research was to examine the extent to which quality improvement projects in healthcare adhered to Lean's eight-step process. We analyzed 605 publications identified through a systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines. Each publication was coded using a structured coding sheet. The most frequent type of publication reported empirical research (48.6%) and most of these (80.3%) shared the results of the Lean projects. Of the 237 publications reporting Lean projects, more than half (71.3%) used an experimental, one-site, pre/postdesign. The impact of the project was most often measured using a single metric (59.1%) that was operational (e.g., waiting time). Although most Lean project publications reported the use of tools to "break down the problem" (84.4%, Step 2) and "see countermeasures through" (70.0%, Step 6), fewer than half described using tools associated with each of the other steps. Projects completed an average of 2.77 steps and none of the projects completed all steps. Although some may perceive low adherence to the tenets of Lean as a deficiency, it may be that Lean approaches are evolving to better meet the needs of healthcare.

Applied systems thinking: The impact of system optimization strategies on financial and quality performance in a team-based simulation.

At its core, this research was undertaken to explore the extent to which system optimization leadership strategies such as innovation, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making affect financial and quality performance in organizations. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest research design was used to examine the increase or decrease in system performance as a result of treatment in the form of a systems thinking workshop and strategy discussion. The application of three-core system strategies lead to significant gains in financial performance across all teams, and an increase in quality performance in all but one team. In addition to an increase in performance, this research also revealed the tendency of social systems to reflexively sub-optimize their performance and at times lose focus on higher order system goals. Helpful recommendations for leadership practice and future research are presented with a view to helping optimize whole systems and not solely their parts.

The importance of organizational variables in treatment time for patients with ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction improve delays in STEMI.

BACKGROUND: The time between arrival at the emergency department (ED) and balloon (D2B) in STEMI is one of the best indicators of the quality of care. Our aim is to describe treatment times and evaluate the causes of delay. METHODS: This is an observational retrospective study, including all consecutive STEMI code patients ≥18 years old treated in the ED from 2013 to 2016.All the patients were stratified into two groups: delayed group with D2B>70min and non-delayed ≤70. The primary variable was D2B time. FINDINGS: In total 327 patients were included, stratified according to their D2B as follows: 166 (67·48%) in the delayed group and 80 (32·52%) in the non-delayed group. The delayed group was older (p=0·005), with more females (p=0·060) and more atypical electrocardiogram (ECG) STEMI signs or symptoms (p=0·058) (p=0·087). Predictors of shorter D2B time were: typical STEMI ECG signs and short training sessions for nurses on identifying STEMI patients. INTERPRETATION: There are delays particularly in specific groups with atypical clinical presentations. Short training sessions aimed at emergency nurses correlate with shorter delay. This suggests that continuing training for emergency nurses, along with organizational strategies, can contribute to increasing the quality of care. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: NCT04333381.

Rewarding On Time Start Times in Operating Rooms Improves Efficiency.

BACKGROUND: The average cost of running an operating room (OR) is approximately $37.00 a minute. Therefore, every effort should be made to start in a timely manner. There are several factors at play that can cause OR delays. Attaining consistent start times is a multidisciplinary task, which requires good communication and rewards for efficiency. METHODS: At our institution, a "star system" was implemented to improve compliance with timely start times. All OR staff (scrub tech, OR nurse, anesthesiologist, and physician) get 1 star for every on time start. Once a person attains 10 stars, they are awarded a $20 gift card to a local bakery/coffee shop. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the 3 months pre- and post-implementation of the star system in regard to starting on time (54% vs. 71%, P-value .047), and there were significantly less late starts within 6-10 minutes (14% vs. 4%, P-value = <.01). There was no statistically significant difference in late starts >11 minutes or when comparing days of the week. The most common reasons for delay are as follows: surgeon running late (23%), anesthesiologist tardiness (11%), patient is late (9%), preoperative orders, or test not completed (7%). CONCLUSION: The significant increase in the number of cases that start on time after implementation of the star system leads us to believe that late start times are multifactorial, and that incentives are a positive way to encourage the OR team to start on time.

Optimizing the Availability of Enhanced Prehospital Care Team Resources.

OBJECTIVE: After recent developments within the North West Air Ambulance (NWAA), we undertook a service evaluation to determine if resource use could be improved. We sought to answer the following questions: (1) At what time of day do major trauma incidents occur in the North West of England? 2) Do current NWAA operating hours meet the needs of these major trauma patients? 3) Where do major trauma incidents occur in the North West of England? and 4) Are current NWAA resources optimally located to meet the needs of these major trauma patients? METHODS: We reviewed records from the Trauma Audit and Research Network database for the North West of England (the counties of Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Cumbria, and Lancashire) between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2017. These data were supplemented by incident records from the North West Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust. Analysis was undertaken using Excel (Microsoft, Redmond, WA) and MapInfo Pro (Pitney Bowes, Stamford, CT). A survey will be conducted to give insight into the level of cover provided by other UK helicopter emergency medical services. RESULTS: Data from 2,318 incidents were analyzed. Major trauma occurs in higher numbers at certain times of day, varies from weekday to weekend, and takes place in higher concentrations in certain locations, appearing related to population density. CONCLUSION: There is a significant difference between the current trauma care provision and the demand of major trauma incidents. The findings of this study suggest an expansion in cover provided by the NWAA may be appropriate.