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Key Performance Indicators in the Operating Room

Operating room performance is important because the operating room provides about 40 percent of a typical hospital's revenue, according to AllBusiness.com, an online company that provides business solutions. But more importantly, performance is crucial because poor performance can lead to patient injuries or death. Therefore, standards are in place that physicians must follow when carrying out an operation.

  1. Cost Reduction

    • Operating physicians must try to use operating procedures as efficiently as possible. Expensive materials should only be used if completely necessary since the margin of cost in the health care industry is so slim.

    Infection Control

    • Effective infection control is a vital aspect of the operating room. Patients are highly exposed to harmful bacteria when they are opened up, so all materials must be absolutely sterile. The surgeon's tray must not be touched by anyone but the surgeon to avoid contamination. Surgeons must wear clothing that prevents the transmission of microbial agents.

    Quick Thinking

    • Surgeons must be able to think fluently and cannot allow themselves to have a slowdown in their processing during surgery. Split-second decisions can determine the success of the overall operation and slips of the hand or mistakes in judgment can have tragic results. Steady hands are essential for the physician.

    Efficiency

    • Surgeons must be able to move very quickly during the surgery. Time spent with the patient cut open on the operating table is time in which infections can set in. Also, the longer the patient is under surgery, more anesthetics and other medications are needed to fight pain, keep the patient unconscious and paralyze reflexive muscular actions.

    Head Covers

    • Head covers must be worn by surgical professionals. The human head is a large source of bacterial contamination that can provide an opportunity for microbes to infect open wounds, according to the Association of Surgical Technologists. Even if the surgeon is very clean, hair follicles can fall off of the head and get into the wounds, which can transmit diseases that are harmless on the outside but can lead to a serious infection if the bacteria travels from the follicles to the inside of the patient's body. Surgeons must be able to keep follicles and other body particulates from falling into open cuts.

    Early Briefing

    • Physicians must be contacted about an upcoming surgery as soon as possible so that they can be prompted with diagnostic information about the patient. The more knowledge the surgeon has about the patient, the more prepared the surgeon will be to carry out the appropriate actions during the surgery.

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