Quality of OR planning. Avoiding operating room underutilization or overutilization

BACKGROUND: Accurate scheduling of operations is essential for an efficiently used OR. The aim of this investigation was to describe the quality of OR scheduling in the analyzed OR. Furthermore suggestions for avoiding underutilization or overutilization through optimized OR planning should be addressed if possible. METHODS: The planned duration, the real duration and the differences in minutes of 10,831 operations were analyzed. The statistical distribution was determined and the median, the quartiles, the interquartile range and the number of operations with a real duration lasting longer than planned were calculated. All operations were grouped in ascending order from the shortest planned duration. All planning groups were analyzed statistically and the results were compared. RESULTS: The planned OR durations did not show a normal distribution and 34% of all operations showed a real duration lasting longer than planned. The median of the differences was 10 min indicating that 50% of all operations were finished within 10 min earlier than planned. Operations with planned longer durations (>150 min) showed significantly more frequently a real duration lasting longer than planned. Furthermore, the differences between planned and real durations were additionally larger when planned durations were longer than 150 min. CONCLUSION: Prognosis of operations with longer planned duration (>150 min) should be improved in the OR area analyzed. Scheduling of these operations at the beginning of the OR list or with a sufficient time interval towards the end of the appointed OR block time within the OR list can avoid or at least minimize underutilization and overutilization of the OR.