Decision support tools for better quality in operating rooms management

Surgical activity is recognized as generating a high portion of hospitals’ funding, as having substantial impacts in other areas of hospital provision, and as being a social concern for which populations are quite sensitive. In line with this, governments and hospital managers in many countries have recognized the scope for improving efficiency and quality in operating rooms (ORs) management, while emphasizing the relevance for guaranteeing responsive services and acceptable levels of waiting times.

The ImproveOR project aims at improving efficiency in surgical care delivery and at improving access to surgical care, as a result of an increase of the operating room responsiveness to surgical demand and a better coordination between surgical supply and demand.

Decision support tools are developed combining optimization approaches (based on multi-objective mathematical programming models and heuristics) to assist resource capacity planning decisions in the operating room with structured participatory approaches to capture stakeholders’ views and preferences regarding the surgical patient flows and the planning and scheduling of surgeries. Simulation will help evaluating the impact of the new strategies proposed for surgical processes redesign. Two central hospitals of the Portuguese National Health Service participate in the project and are used as case studies where the research is tested and validated. The project generates social value and health gains.