How far does poor governance information prolong surgical session time?

Abstract

This paper uses the concept of governance information to identify the preventable variation in terms of disruption and delay within operating rooms. It presents the results of 22 cases undertaken inside operating rooms of a public hospital in Australia. This research shows that governance information resulting from poor information quality increases variation events in operating rooms and forces surgeons and patients to endure an unnecessary average delay of approximately 26% of the surgical session time. Such additional time could be utilised to deal with the pressure of emergency cases and to reduce waiting lists for elective surgery.