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Improving Operating Room Efficiency

  • Endourology (P Mucksavage and B Somani, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Urology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Operating rooms are critical financial centers for hospital systems, with surgical care representing about a third of all health care spending. However, not all of the costs are appropriate or necessary, as there are sometimes significant inefficiencies in how operating rooms are utilized.

Recent Findings

Recent innovations utilizing patient-centered data, systems principles from manufacturing industries, and enhanced communication processes have made significant improvements in improving operating room efficiency.

Summary

By focusing on improving communication, standardizing processes, and embracing a learning health system with innovations, significant improvements in operating room efficiency can be seen to improve outcomes and costs for the health system and patient.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Urology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Daniel J. Lee, James Ding & Thomas J. Guzzo

  2. Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, West Pavilion 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Daniel J. Lee

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  1. Daniel J. Lee
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Correspondence to Daniel J. Lee.

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Daniel J. Lee, James Ding, and Thomas J. Guzzo each declare no potential conflicts of interest.

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Lee, D.J., Ding, J. & Guzzo, T.J. Improving Operating Room Efficiency. Curr Urol Rep 20, 28 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11934-019-0895-3

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