OR are the primary source of revenue , but the second-largest expenditure in medical supplies. Efficient management of utilization and costs within the OR is a big challenge. The complexity of the premises and the organization does not allow existing tools to have a clear visibility in real time authorizing quick decisions for a real efficiency.

Operating Rooms

What irks ORs the most? Inventory management issues.

1. Restocking and inventory access remains problematic such that circulating nurses scramble to obtain what surgeons need – sometimes during procedures.

2. Turnover time remains too long due to OR set-up and stocking.

3. Inability to track product consumption/usage patterns for billing, budgeting, economic service line evaluation, etc.

4. Ineffective, poor or no relationship with Supply Chain to help with product evaluations, contracting, supplier relations, etc.

5. Bad/erroneous data and/or lack of product data standards cause/contribute to decision-making problems.

6. Physician preference items add to inventory and procedural costs.

7. Devices, instruments break down/malfunction due to improper maintenance, repair, service.

8. Lack of integration, if not interconnectivity or interoperability, between electronic imaging, surgical and patient information components.

9. The surgical suite remains a hotbed and magnet for healthcare-acquired infections – including superbugs – that may be linked to improperly reprocessed devices and instruments.

10. Product recalls cause delays due to lack of preparation.

11. Turnover time remains too long due to cleaning, disinfecting and sterilizing room post-procedure.

12. Too much clutter on floor, such as equipment, power cords, storage and tools in too small a space as square footage remains lacking.

13. Based on material composition, floors and walls easily attract dirt, dust, grime and other infectious organisms that compromise sterility.

14. Electronic access to real-time patient imaging and other health information lacking or simply unavailable.

15. Lack of using wall space effectively and efficiently beyond plug-ins to outlets – either for imaging, storage or workspace equipment.

16. Surgeon demands, personalities conflict with each other and nurses.

17. Floors and walls may be cleaned and disinfected with mops, wipes and other products that are not changed with each room, thereby transferring and/or failing to kill infectious organisms from room to room.

18. Manufacturer/vendor product/sales rep and other third-party access to OR for device/instrument coaching and “patient safety” may be distracting.

19. Nursing demands, personalities conflict with each other.

20. The operating table is manual and outdated, making it difficult to maneuver or simply unstable for the patient and staff.

21. Regardless of mounting, surgical lighting is cumbersome, difficult to maneuver and may not provide adequate illumination.

22. Surgeons may operate in the wrong area or on the wrong organs due to health record problems, lack of visible skin markers or simple distraction/not paying attention.

23. The surgical suite remains a hotbed and magnet for healthcare-acquired infections – including superbugs – that may be linked to improper surgical techniques.

24. Turnover time remains too long due to procedural/patient complications.