Workflow Analysis in Operating Rooms: A System-Theoretic Approach

Improving workflow efficacy in operating rooms (ORs) is of significant importance for hospital management. Safe delivery of surgical procedures, better utilization of staff and medical resources, as well as enhanced efficiency and satisfactory patient outcome are expected. To achieve this, quick and accurate analysis of surgery workflow becomes a critical enabler. Although extensive studies have been carried out in OR scheduling, efficient methods for detailed workflow analysis in ORs are missing in the current literature. To bridge the gap, a system-theoretic approach is introduced to study surgical workflow in ORs. Specifically, a Markov chain-based analytical model is presented to evaluate the performance of surgical processes. To mitigate the curse of dimensionality, an iterative algorithm is introduced for large surgical centers. Using this model, system properties, such as monotonicities, are investigated. Numerical experiments indicate that such a method can provide efficient analysis with acceptable accuracy. In addition, a case study in a large public hospital illustrates the applicability of the method. © 2024 IEEE.