Surgery Scheduling

Abstract

Operating room times for patients undergoing surgery at LDS Hospital are scheduled using the HELP system [1]. The scheduling program allows data such as the patient’s name, age, and room number, the names of the surgeon and the anaesthetist, the procedure to be performed, and the choice of operating room to be used to be entered for any date and time in the future. Using the name of the surgeon and the procedure to be performed, the computer determines which one of 3700 predefined case carts needs to be assembled for each scheduled surgery. The list of carts to be assembled for the following day’s surgeries (including the contents of the cart) is automatically printed each day at 2 PM in the central supply department. The surgery scheduling data are also used in computerized decision making involving determination of appropriate use of antibiotics.