ORAHS2025
Abstract Submission

241. Allocating operating room capacity to non-elective patients improves access and safety for elective patients at Aarhus University Hospital (DK)

Invited abstract in session HF-5: Innovation 4, stream Sessions.

Thursday, 15:30-17:00
Room: St Olavs, Kunnskapssenteret KA11

Authors (first author is the speaker)

1. Maartje Zonderland
Zonderland & Van Zeijl

Abstract

We address surgical scheduling within the Department of Neurosurgery at Aarhus University Hospital (AUH). The department provides neurosurgical care to a population of 1.3 million in Denmark and has national treatment obligations for specific neurosurgical diseases. Efficient utilisation of the department’s four operating suites is crucial to ensure that patients have timely access to both non-elective and elective neurosurgical procedures. Historically, the elective OR schedule was made without consideration of the possible arrival of non-elective patients. The challenge was to introduce a structured way of planning for non-elective surgical procedures that would minimise the need for cancelling elective surgeries. Using a mathematical model developed in a previous study at Leiden University Medical Center, the effect of allocating OR time during regular working hours for non-elective neurosurgical procedures at AUH was analysed. This allocation was tested in a six-week pilot study before being implemented in 2021. In the 35 weeks following the implementation, the new allocation strategy resulted in a significant 77% decrease in the cancellation of elective neurosurgical procedures when compared with the same period in 2019, with a significant 16% increase in surgical productivity. We demonstrate how mathematical modelling solves complex problems in the distribution of OR capacity, improving both patient safety and the working environment of surgeons and OR staff.

Keywords

Status: accepted

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