Can the Improvement of Operational Efficiency in a Surgical Center Reduce Waiting Times for Orthopedic Surgeries in Resource-Limited Regions?

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether enhancing operational efficiency, without the addition of substantial new resources, can reduce idleness and increase the utilization of surgical rooms, thereby decreasing the waiting time for orthopedic surgeries in a public hospital in the Brazilian Amazon.

METHODS: The Mudita.CARE methodology was employed to organize the operational process. This intervention consists of three phases: data collection on the times and movements, idleness, and occupancy of surgical rooms, as well as the waiting time for surgeries; diagnosis of the main bottlenecks and obstacles in the processes; discussion and definition of improvements with the department's multidisciplinary team; and implementation and evaluation of the effectiveness of the changes made. These phases form a cycle that repeats as necessary.

RESULTS: Six cycles of the proposed intervention were conducted with the participation of doctors, nurses, managers, and support staff from the surgical center. After six months of project implementation, the occupancy rate increased from 30% to 47% and the waiting time for surgeries dropped from 181 to 37 days.

CONCLUSIONS: Enhancing operational efficiency through the involvement of the surgical center's multidisciplinary team can reduce idleness and increase the utilization of surgical rooms, as well as decrease the waiting time for orthopedic surgeries in resource-limited regions. Further studies are recommended for different surgical specialties and other resource-limited regions, such as in low-middle-income countries.