Optimizing the Preoperative Holding Area Efficiency at Base Hospital Muthur

Background: Prolonged pre-operative waiting times within holding areas exacerbate patient anxiety and threaten perioperative workflow efficiency. Minimizing these delays is crucial for patient-centered care and optimal resource utilization.
Objectives: This clinical audit aimed to evaluate patient transit delays between ward transfer and Operating Theater (OT) admission, introduce an enhanced synchronization protocol, and statistically evaluate the subsequent impact on waiting times.
Methods: A two-phase observational audit was performed. Phase 1 (Pre-Audit Baseline, n = 28) tracked delays using traditional schedule-based workflows. Following the introduction of a communication-driven 'Just-in-Time' transfer policy, Phase 2 (Post-Audit Re-evaluation, n = 44) was conducted. Data were analyzed using a Welch’s independent t-test and 95% confidence intervals (CI).
Results: The baseline pre-audit revealed severe delays with a mean waiting time of 186.3 minutes (median = 140.0 min, max = 445.0 min). Post-intervention data demonstrated a highly significant shift, reducing the mean waiting time to 72.4 minutes (median = 30.0 min).
Conclusion: Active cross-departmental coordination significantly mitigates pre-operative stalls, successfully shifting the median patient wait time to align directly with international best-practice standards (≤ 30 minutes).

Keywords

Clinical audit, Preoperative waiting time, Holding area efficiency, Operating theatre workflow, Quality improvement, Just-in-Time patient transfer, Perioperative care, Operating room efficiency, Patient flow.

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Optimizing the Preoperative Holding Area Efficiency at Base Hospital Muthur

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