Delay in starting operation theatres in a teaching hospital - Opinion based study.

Background: Delay in starting operation theatre may lead to an unhealthy working environment, increased stress, considerable wait time for operation room (OR) staff as well as patient, and waste of resources. All these eventually affect the quality of care. With these considerations a prospective randomized opinion based study was conducted on 120 healthcare persons, 40 each belonging to the department of anesthesia, surgery, and nursing. Objective: To assess the different perspectives of healthcare persons belonging to three major departments that function in concert for the smooth working of ORs; concerning various causative factors leading to delay. Materials and methods: A questionnaire with ten most probable causes was distributed to the study subjects, seeking the five main reasons for usual delays as per their perspective. The data was compiled systematically and was subjected to Epi info software for surveys using the coding method for each option. Results: The three most common reasons for the delay in the start of operating rooms according to Anesthetists were delay in the arrival of surgery consultant (65%), limited availability of trained supporting staff (57.5%), and equipment problem (52.5%). According to Surgeons they were lack of teamwork (57.5%), limited availability of trained staff (55%), and equipment problem (50%), and as per nursing staffs they were delay in the arrival of surgery consultant (71.7%), limited availability of trained staff (46.1%), and equipment failure (41%). Thus, the limited availability of trained staff, equipment, and punctuality problems may be considered the most common causes of delay in starting the operation theatre in our setup. Conclusion: The study suggests that the leading causes of the delay are avoidable and there is a wide scope to improve in the timely starting operation room. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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