Over a few years now, The Conclude Consultancy (TCC) has been aggregating operating procedure data using their unique Patient Pathway Analysis to create hierarchies of patient types. The statistical analysis that is the foundation of Occupancy Analytics (TM) provides the basis for hierarchies of patient types based on the specifics of different operating procedures.
So what is the significance of this new approach?
It means that we are able to provide groupings of patient types related to procedure duration in the operating theatre, where each grouping is related to different time bands and Standard Deviations. Many surgeons would say that procedure durations are highly variable and consequently they need to allow for this in their planning of surgery lists. We in TCC argue that this type of planning using aggregated patient data will of course lead to large variances. However, using a time-band analysis significantly removes large variables and provides for much greater predictability.
This analysis is significant because it directly leads to:
- Improved operating theatre utilisation.
- Less patient waiting time due to overrunning procedures in surgery.
- Much greater predicability of patient flow, leading to greater efficiency in the use of resources.
- Significant capital an operational cost benefits.
The method enables the use of theatre capacity to be optimised and can directly impact the demand for space in hospitals. For example, should a hospital board be considering expansion of operating theatre capacity, our analysis challenges the often held binary thinking that greater demand should lead to the need for greater capacity.
If you would wish to find more about our innovative methods for hospital demand and capacity planning, please use our contact form.
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