Owens & Minor Releases Findings from Operating Room Efficiency Research Report

March 30, 2023
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Report reveals links between common operating room resource management practices and the quality of patient outcomes

RICHMOND, Va. – March 30, 2023 – Owens & Minor, Inc. today released findings from the Owens & Minor Operating Room (OR) Efficiency Research Report, which examines the relationship between efficient ORs and clinical outcomes. Findings are based on an August 2022 survey of more than 250 operating room managers and directors that was conducted by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) and commissioned by Owens & Minor. Click here to access the full report.

“Operating rooms are key revenue drivers for hospitals, yet they continue to face compounding obstacles that are increasing the burden for clinical staff and raising costs for hospitals and healthcare systems – making it vital to improve how resources are managed by reducing waste and streamlining non-clinical tasks,” said Sheri J. Voss, MS, RN, CNOR (E), Associate Principal Consultant, Products & Healthcare Services, Owens & Minor. “With the right technology, the right processes and the right expertise, OR teams can focus more on the delivery of high-quality care for patients.”

The Owens & Minor OR Efficiency Research Report presents quantitative insights on challenges facing OR teams today in areas such as supply chain optimization, staff satisfaction and shortages, waste, data and analytics, technology integration and physician preference cards. The report also shares actionable insights for how perioperative teams can make improvements.

“This study helps quantify factors that perioperative teams on the front lines identify as drivers and detractors of efficiency in the operating room that can impact the quality of patient care,” said CEO and Executive Director of AORN Linda Groah, MSN, RN, CNOR, NEA-BC, FAAN. “With disruptions happening across the healthcare landscape, it’s more important than ever for hospital leadership to understand and prioritize solutions that will simplify processes for perioperative teams.”

Other key highlights from the report include:

  • Tech adoption grows, yet many supply chain processes are still handled manually. ORs have implemented technology solutions to help drive efficiency across many processes, yet 40 percent of ORs use manual intervention for practices like supply management.
  • Inaccurate preference cards are the most common reason for unused supplies. When asked why supplies are picked for a case but not used, the top response (at 40 percent) was physician card inaccuracy. Only 7percent of survey respondents report that their cards are more than 90 percent accurate.
  • Over three-quarters of OR leaders say workload has increased since the pandemic began. Labor is a major pain point, with nearly three out of five respondents (59 percent) citing staffing shortages as a substantial issue for their ORs.
  • Leveraging data and technology to streamline processes lead to better OR utilization rates. OR leaders who rated data as extremely helpful in their roles had 26 percent higher OR utilization than others who rated it as not at all helpful. Digital integration also leads to better OR utilization rates – with the OR utilization rate of highly digitally integrated ORs being 71 percent.

Selected highlights from the report will be included in an educational webinar, Improve Your OR Efficiency: Evidence Based Data & Actions held during AORN’s annual Global Surgical Conference Expo in San Antonio, Tx. April 1—4, 2023 and in an accredited continuing education (CE) course offered by AORN during the conference.

About Owens & Minor

Owens & Minor, Inc. is a Fortune 500 global healthcare solutions company integrating product manufacturing and delivery, home health supply and perioperative services to support care through the hospital and into the home. Owens & Minor drives visibility, control and efficiency for patients, providers and healthcare professionals across the supply chain with proprietary technology and solutions, an extensive product portfolio, an Americas-based manufacturing footprint for personal protective equipment (PPE) and surgical products, as well as a robust portfolio of products and services for patients managing chronic and acute conditions in the home setting. Operating continuously since 1882 from its headquarters in Richmond, Va., Owens & Minor is a 140-year-old company powered by more than 20,000 global teammates. Learn more at https://www.owens-minor.com, follow @Owens_Minor on Twitter and connect on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/owens-&-minor.

About the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN)

The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) represents the interests of more than 200,000 perioperative nurses, including more than 41,000 members. It is committed to increasing awareness of advances in patient and worker safety in the OR setting, as well as public policy issues that may affect operative and other invasive procedures. For more information please visit www.aorn.org.

Media relations:

Owens & Minor [email protected]
AORN [email protected]