The Effect of Hospital Size and Surgical Service on Case Cancellation in Elective Surgery

• DOI: 10.1213/ane.0b013e318222be4d
• Publication Date: 2011-06-17T15:00:56Z
• Authors: Martin Schuster; Christian Neumann; Konrad Neumann; Jan Braun; Goetz Geldner; Joerg Martin; Claudia Spies; Martin Bauer
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Operating Room Information Systems; Time Factors; Hospitals, Community; Middle Aged; Specialties, Surgical; 3. Good health; Hospitals, University; Appointments and Schedules; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Elective Surgical Procedures; Hospital Bed Capacity; Germany; Surgical Procedures, Operative; Humans; Regression Analysis; Female; Prospective Studies; Monte Carlo Method; Aged

Short-term case cancellation causes frustration for anesthesiologists, surgeons, and patients leads to suboptimal use of operating room (OR) resources. In many facilities, >10% all cases are cancelled on the day surgery, thereby causing major problems OR management anesthesia departments. The effect hospital type service rate is unclear.In 25 hospitals different types (university hospitals, large community mid- small-size hospitals) we studied elective surgical following subspecialties over a period 2 weeks: general trauma/orthopedics, urology, gynecology. Case was defined as any patient who had been scheduled be operated next day, but after finalization plan before surgery. A list possible reasons provided standardized documentation.A total 6009 82 services were recorded during study period. Services in university rates 2.23 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.49 3.34) times higher than 12.4% CI 11.0% 13.8%) versus 5.0% 4.0% 6.2%). Of services, significantly (1.78, 95% 1.25 2.53) did gynecology services-11.0% 9.7% 12.5%) 6.6% 5.1% 8.4%).When benchmarking among comparisons should control academic institutions having incidences nonacademic surgery other services.