Workflow in an Operating Room: A Dual Perspective on Patient Experience and Automation
The workflow in an operating room (OR) is a complex process and is broken down, in this diagram, into six distinct stages. Each stage has specific actions related to the patient experience and automation processes. This overview outlines how these stages are interconnected, highlighting the patient’s journey through the OR and the role of automation in enhancing efficiency and accuracy in medical record-keeping.
Diagram Overview
The diagram illustrating this workflow would visually represent the patient’s journey through the OR in a linear or circular flow, with each stage clearly marked. Alongside the patient pathway, a parallel automation track would show the corresponding data capture and system interactions at each stage. This dual-pathway approach highlights the integration of patient care with digital health technologies, emphasizing the role of automation in streamlining operations, enhancing patient safety, and improving surgical outcomes.
1. Registration
- Patient Experience: The patient enters the registration area, marking the beginning of their surgical journey. This is where personal, medical, and insurance information is collected and verified.
- Automation: Registration details are entered into the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system, ensuring all patient data is up-to-date and accessible throughout the surgical process.
2. Pre-Op
- Patient Experience: The patient transfers to the Pre-Op area where they undergo various pre-surgical assessments, including vital signs monitoring and consultations with the surgical team.
- Automation: Pre-Op assessments and patient status updates are logged into the EMR, providing a comprehensive pre-surgical snapshot.
3. InterOp (Intra-Op)
- Patient Experience:
- Waits for the OR to be ready.
- Patient wheels into the OR, marking the transition to the active surgical phase.
- Surgery cut begins, initiating the actual surgical procedure.
- Surgery close signifies the end of the surgical intervention.
- Patient wheels out, indicating the surgery’s completion and the move to recovery.
- Automation:
- Logging the time when the patient wheels into the OR.
- Logging the time when the surgery cut begins and ends.
- These timestamps are crucial for tracking surgery duration and are automatically recorded in the EMR.
4. Post-Op
- Patient Experience: The patient is moved to the Post-Op area for recovery and monitoring, ensuring they are stable before moving to a room or being discharged.
- Automation: Post-Op observations and recovery progress are continuously logged, providing real-time data for immediate care adjustments.
5. Room Turnover
- Patient Experience: Not directly involved, but benefits from the efficiency and readiness of the OR for the next patient.
- Automation: Automated systems can track and log the turnover process, including cleaning and preparation times, ensuring the OR is efficiently readied for subsequent procedures.
6. Reporting
- Patient Experience: Indirectly impacted as this stage involves the compilation and review of the surgical procedure’s data for quality control and future reference.
- Automation:
- Automated reporting is generated, summarizing key metrics of the surgery and patient outcomes.
- This report is sent to relevant departments and stored in the EMR for easy access and analysis.
RTLS in Healthcare
To learn more and compare Real-time Location Systems in Healthcare settings read our article about various real-time location system options.