Optimization of surgery sequencing and scheduling decisions under uncertainty

Operating rooms (ORs) are simultaneously the largest cost center and greatest source of revenues for most hospitals. Due to significant uncertainty in surgery durations, scheduling of ORs can be very challenging. Longer than average surgery durations result in late starts not only for the next surgery in the schedule, but potentially for the rest of the surgeries in the day as well. Late starts also result in direct costs associated with overtime staffing when the last surgery of the day finishes later than the scheduled shift end time. In this article we describe a stochastic optimization model and some practical heuristics for computing OR schedules that hedge against the uncertainty in surgery durations. We focus on the simultaneous effects of sequencing surgeries and scheduling start times. We show that a simple sequencing rule based on surgery duration variance can be used to generate substantial reductions in total surgeon and OR team waiting, OR idling, and overtime costs. We illustrate this with results of a case study that uses real data to compare actual schedules at a particular hospital to those recommended by our model.     

A review of single-use and reusable gowns and drapes in health care.

Gowns and drapes are used widely in healthcare facilities. Gowns have been used to minimize the risk of disease acquisition by healthcare providers, to reduce the risk of patient-to-patient transmission, and during invasive procedures to aid in maintaining a sterile field. Drapes have been used during invasive procedures to maintain the sterility of environmental surfaces, equipment, and patients. This article reviews the use of gowns and drapes in healthcare facilities, including the characteristics, costs, benefits, and barrier effectiveness of single-use and reusable products. Currently, gowns protect healthcare personnel performing invasive procedures from contact with bloodborne pathogens. Although gowns have been recommended to prevent patient-to-patient transmission in certain settings (eg, neonatal intensive care unit) and for certain patients (eg, those infected with vancomycin-resistant enterococci), scientific studies have produced mixed results of their efficacy. While appropriate use of drapes during invasive procedures is recommended widely as an aid in minimizing contamination of the operative field, the efficacy of this practice in reducing surgical-site infections has not been assessed by scientific studies. Based on an evaluation of the functional requirements, environmental impact, and economics of gowns and drapes, clear superiority of either reusable or single-use gowns and drapes cannot be demonstrated. The selection of particular gowns and drapes by individual healthcare facilities requires an assessment of the facility's requirements, available products, and costs and should be based on the desired characteristics of an ideal gown or drape as defined in this paper.     

A systems perspective on OR inventory

As materiel managers focus their efforts on inventory reduction and control in the Operating Room, computerization offers solutions to some complicated OR-specific practices. Preference cards contain not only items, but also trays or packs, equipment and patient care plans that are physician/procedure specific. Through automation, inventory needs can better be predicted and automatic issuance and return of supplies used or not used during the case can be accomplished by editing an on-line screen version of the card. In addition, charge matrices can be geared not only to classes of items, but also to the time- and acuity-driven OR and Recovery Room. Automation can also create detailed cost data inclusive of supply and equipment use, time of resource use, personnel use, etc. to allow management to know what procedures, specialties and physicians provide profit or loss to the hospital. Finally, when interaction between systems is required, the OR system should be able to translate item names between systems.     

Functional separation of septic and aseptic surgical procedures

Current evidence does not favour constructional over functional separation of septic and aseptic surgical procedures in terms of overall hygiene maintenance and incidence of skin and soft tissue infections. In both laminar and turbulent flow air operating theatres, air is not a relevant source of pathogens if surface disinfection is carried out properly.Final cleaning after a septic procedure includes a thorough wipe-disinfection of all potentially contaminated near and distant surfaces, including maintaining the necessary and effective exposure time of the chosen surface disinfectant. Cleaning utensils and clothes of all team members must be disposed of before leaving the theatre, and a complete change of gowns is mandatory before re-entering the operating room area. Strict adherence to this code of behaviour will allow for efficient functional separation of clean and contaminated surgical procedures without compromising patient safety.     

Prediction of personal protective equipment use in hospitals during COVID-19

Health Care Management Science - Demand for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as surgical masks, gloves, and gowns has increased significantly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In...     

Factors associated with transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome among health-care workers in Singapore

Between 1 and 22 March 2003, a nosocomial outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) occurred at the Communicable Disease Centre in Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, the national treatment and isolation facility for patients with SARS. A case-control study with 36 cases and 50 controls was conducted of factors associated with the transmission of SARS within the hospital. In univariate analysis, contact with respiratory secretions elevated the odds ratio to 6.9 (95 % CI 1.4-34.6, P= 0.02). Protection was conferred by hand washing (OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.007-0.5, P=0.03) and wearing of N95 masks (OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.03-0.4, P=0.001). Use of gloves and gowns had no effect. Multivariate analysis confirmed the strong role of contact with respiratory secretions (adjusted OR 21.8, 95 % CI 1.7 274.8, P=0.017). Both hand washing (adjusted OR 0.07, 95 % CI 0.008-0.66, P=0.02) and wearing of N95 masks (adjusted OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.02-0.86, P=0.04) remained strongly protective but gowns and gloves had no effect.     

Operating room cost awareness committee. A model for collaboration

Kaiser Santa Rosa (KSRO), a small facility in the Kaiser Permanente health maintenance organization, was found to have an unfavorably high non-payroll cost per surgical hour as compared with other Kaiser facilities. An Operating Room Cost Awareness Committee was formed to address the problem and has now become a standing committee at KSRO. The committee is composed of surgeons, nurses, materiel management personnel and administrative representatives. Through a spirit of cooperation and the authority to approve and deny all OR supply requests, the committee has been able to bring its OR costs in line with other Kaiser facilities.     

Tensions influencing operating room team function: does institutional context make a difference?

BACKGROUND: A recent study of operating room (OR) team communication in a large, urban hospital described recurrent tension catalysts and a preliminary theory of team members' interpretive processes. To determine to what extent these findings were transferable to other institutional contexts, we conducted a validation study in 2 small, academic hospitals in a mid-size city. METHODS: Eight focus groups and 8 interviews were conducted with 6 general surgeons, 22 OR nurses, 5 anaesthesiologists and 10 trainees. Observations of 10 surgeons and their team members were conducted over 4 months. Data were analysed by applying thematic codes derived from previous research and engaging a grounded theory process to reveal additional, emergent themes. RESULTS: Observed tension catalysts were consistent with those described previously. However, 'higher tension' events occurred in only 70% of procedures in the smaller institutional context, as compared with at least 1 such event in all procedures in the larger setting. Interpretive processes were similar in teams from large and small institutional contexts. Team members referenced professional roles to interpret discourse, and they displayed recurrent role disagreements. Role perception influenced the motivations individuals attributed to colleagues' discourse, which influenced interpretations and reactions. CONCLUSIONS: Overall tension levels are lower in OR teams in smaller institutions; however, tension catalysts and interpretive processes appear similar to those in larger settings. Consistency in tension catalysts and interpretive processes across contexts allows us to begin to model theoretical principles of OR team communication, enabling the development of generic communication curricula applicable in a wide variety of institutional contexts.     

临床工程部门在数字化手术室建设中应关注的问题

针对目前医院数字化手术室的建设,首先分析了手术室数字化的特征与意义;然后结合建设中遇到的实际问题提出了相应解决方案并总结经验。在医院的数字化建设中,功能完备、经济高效、安全可靠的数字化手术室是建设重点之一。     

临床工程部门在数字化手术室建设中应关注的问题

针对目前医院数字化手术室的建设，首先分析了手术室数字化的特征与意义；然后结合建设中遇到的实际问题提出了相应解决方案并总结经验。在医院的数字化建设中，功能完备、经济高效、安全可靠的数字化手术室是建设重点之一。     

Direct measurement of bacterial penetration through surgical gowns: a new method

There is a paucity of data on the penetration of bacteria through surgical gowns during operations. A simple new method was developed, using Petri dishes filled with horse blood agar that were attached to the outside of the gown material. This was used to assess bacterial penetration through disposable spun-bonded polyester gowns and re-usable woven polyester gowns during normal use. There was a significant difference between the two gown types when tested in the axilla (P = 0.02), the groin (P = 0.02) and the peri-anal region (P < 0.01), with the disposable gowns performing to a higher standard. Re-usable gowns demonstrated variation in penetrability, and for this reason, may be unsuitable for use in orthopaedic implant surgery.     

对接受辅助生殖技术治疗的患者进行零缺陷管理

目的：采用零缺陷管理法对接受辅助生殖技术（ART）治疗的患者进行管理,使患者管理及治疗过程中的差错趋向于零。方法：根据零缺陷管理的要求,将人作为管理主体,包括进行员工培训以树立＂无缺点＂的哲学观念、赋予员工管理动机、人人参与管理、责任落实到人;重视预防,而非事后的检查批评;确定管理目标,建立过程质控的规范操作;保持质量持续改进。结果：确定了ART治疗各个环节的管理目标,制订了各管理目标过程控制的标准操作规程,建立了零缺陷管理的组织结构。结论：零缺陷管理是一种有效的预防医疗差错发生、保证医疗质量持续改进的管理办法。     

对接受辅助生殖技术治疗的患者进行零缺陷管理

目的：采用零缺陷管理法对接受辅助生殖技术（ART）治疗的患者进行管理,使患者管理及治疗过程中的差错趋向于零。方法：根据零缺陷管理的要求,将人作为管理主体,包括进行员工培训以树立“无缺点”的哲学观念、赋予员工管理动机、人人参与管理、责任落实到人;重视预防,而非事后的检查批评;确定管理目标,建立过程质控的规范操作;保持质量持续改进。结果：确定了ART治疗各个环节的管理目标,制订了各管理目标过程控制的标准操作规程,建立了零缺陷管理的组织结构。结论：零缺陷管理是一种有效的预防医疗差错发生、保证医疗质量持续改进的管理办法。     

A cost-benefit analysis of gown use in controlling vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus transmission: is it worth the price?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the net benefit and costs associated with gown use in preventing transmission of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE). DESIGN: A cost-benefit analysis measuring the net benefit of gowns was performed. Benefits, defined as averted costs from reduced VRE colonization and infection, were estimated using a matched cohort study. Data sources included a step-down cost allocation system, hospital informatics, and microbiology databases. SETTING: The medical intensive care unit (MICU) at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri. PATIENTS: Patients admitted to the MICU for more than 24 hours from July 1, 1997, to December 31, 1999. INTERVENTIONS: Alternating periods when all healthcare workers and visitors were required to wear gowns and gloves versus gloves alone on entry to the rooms of patients colonized or infected with VRE. RESULTS: On base-case analysis, 58 VRE cases were averted with gown use during 18 months. The annual net benefit of the gown policy was dollar 419,346 and the cost per case averted of VRE was dollar 1,897. The analysis was most sensitive to the level of VRE transmission. CONCLUSIONS: Infection control policies (eg, gown use) initially increase the cost of health services delivery. However, such policies can be cost saving by averting nosocomial infections and the associated costs of treatment. The cost savings to the hospital plus the benefits to patients and their families of avoiding nosocomial infections make effective infection control policies a good investment.     

Improving operating room schedules

Operating rooms (ORs) in US hospitals are costly to staff, generate about 70 % of a hospital’s revenues, and operate at a staffed-capacity utilization of 60-70 %. Many hospitals allocate blocks of OR time to individual or groups of surgeons as guaranteed allocation, who book surgeries one at a time in their blocks. The booking procedure frequently results in unused time between surgeries. Realizing that this presents an opportunity to improve OR utilization, hospitals manually reschedule surgery start times one or two days before each day of surgical operations. The purpose of rescheduling is to decrease OR staffing costs, which are determined by the number of concurrently staffed ORs. We formulate the rescheduling problem as a variant of the bin-packing problem with interrelated items, which are the surgeries performed by the same surgeon. We develop a lower bound (LB) construction algorithm and prove that the LB is at least (2/3) of the optimal staffing cost. A key feature of our approach is that we allow hospitals to have two shift lengths. Our analytical results form the basis of a branch-and-bound algorithm, which we test on data obtained from three hospitals. Experiments show that rescheduling saves significant staffing costs.     

Materials managers earn their grades from hospital execs

The 1994 Survey on CEO/CFO Satisfaction With and Expectations for Hospital Materials Management provides an inside look at how hospital executives size up their materials management departments. The survey of 143 hospital CEOs and CFOs conducted by Kowalski-Dickow Associates, a materials management consulting firm based in Milwaukee, sheds light on executives' perceptions of the performance, characteristics and future of materials management. Materials managers can use the information to begin--or enhance--communications with senior management. The study was completed in cooperation with the American Society for Healthcare Materials Management and Materials Management in Health Care. Funding for the survey was provided by the American Sterilizer Company (AMSCO), Erie, PA; General Medical Corp., Richmond, VA; Kimberly-Clark, Roswell, GA; Milcare/Herman Miller, Zeeland, MI; and Owens & Minor, Glen Allen, VA.     

Do contact precautions cause depression? A two-year study at a tertiary care medical centre

Contact precautions, used to reduce the transmission of infectious diseases, include the wearing of gowns and gloves for room entry. Previous small studies have shown an association between contact precautions and increased symptoms of depression and anxiety. A retrospective cohort of all patients admitted to a tertiary care centre over two years was studied to assess the relationship between contact precautions and depression or anxiety. During the two-year period, there were 70,275 admissions including 28,564 unique non-intensive-care-unit (ICU), non-psychiatric admissions. After adjusting for potential confounders, contact precautions were associated with depression [odds ratio (OR) 1.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-1.5] but not with anxiety (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.7-1.1) in the non-ICU population. Depression was 40% more prevalent among general inpatients on contact precautions.     

血透机的消毒质量控制

本文根据卫生部《医疗机构血液透析室管理规范》、《血液净化标准操作规程》（2010版）的要求,分析了我院血液透析中心在血透机的消毒质量控制上遇到的一些问题,并探讨了解决问题的方法。     

Sterilization of gowns: making the most of a scarce commodity during the COVID-19 pandemic

Baylor Clinic in Mbabane, Eswatini, convened a crisis meeting to tackle critical shortages of long-sleeved disposable gowns that resulted from COVID-19 pandemic constraints on available personal protective equipment (PPE). A strategy deemed safe, affordable and sustainable was adopted to autoclave and re-use gowns based on a risk-stratified approach. Key objectives were to ensure essential infection control and prevention (ICP) for medical doctors, nurses, and laboratory teams. Administrative, environmental and personal protective measures for ICP were enhanced through regular staff training. This strategy for gown re-use has been invaluable in motivating responsible stewardship and maximization of available gowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.     

利用家庭医生服务团队对樟木头镇户籍人口进行健康管理的模式研究

目的总结与探讨利用家庭医生服务团队对樟木头镇户籍人口进行健康管理的模式。方法利用樟木头镇社区卫生服务中心在本镇各社区的29支较成熟的家庭医生服务团队根据健康管理工作需要开展各项社区卫生服务项目,利用中科院深圳先进技术研究所的全民低成本健康项目,以居民健康档案为载体,通过建立、维护居民健康档案的过程来实现家庭医生服务团队对社区居民整个人生的健康和疾病危险因素进行检测、评估和干预的管理过程。结果居民健康管理覆盖率80%以上。居民慢性病发病率降低30%。居民年平均医药费减少20%。以上指标均已顺利完成。结论利用中科院深圳先进技术研究所的全民低成本健康项目,大大降低了健康管理的成本,有利于在我国形成一种以社区卫生服务机构为依托的新的健康管理模式,实现全体社区居民在"人人享有基本卫生保健"的基础上享受更高层次医疗卫生保健服务,不断提高人民群众的健康幸福指数。