Optimizing capacity utilization of operating theatres in teaching hospitals

Abstract

The methodology in this study consisted, pilot study and hypothesis development, evaluation of the factors affecting theatre utilization capacity, analysis of existing physical resources and testing the hypothesis, the study design was observational and descriptive type with purposive sample of 10 percent of the theatres in the said Teaching Hospitals. As respondents, medical officers, nursing officers and minor employees attached to the selected theatres were selected. As data collecting tools, self-administered , interviewer-administered questionnaires and check lists were used. The result of this study indicates that the managerial competencies and staff commitment are more important than the physical resources in theatre capacity utilization. The mean time utilization and the mean value of operations done in the theaters were 65.9 percent , 80.7 percent respectively. It is suggested that more attention has to be paid to commitment and managerial competency factors than physical resources in optimizing operating theatres, developing and implementing a performance appraisal system for the staff, theatre audit system to monitor the theatre activities, establishing finger print machine at the theatres to make sure the correct duty reporting time and holding the pre-anesthetic assessment meeting between relevant ward consultants and theatre staff could lead to optimize utilization capacity of the theatres.