How Tufts Medical Center Optimized OR Efficiency with TigerConnect

How Tufts Medical Center Optimized OR Efficiency with TigerConnect

Due to the intricate nature of operating rooms (ORs), where various teams collaborate to deliver patient care, effective communication is essential for ensuring patient safety. At Tufts Medical Center, several communication hurdles were hindering OR efficiency. These included outdated methods like phone calls and pagers, leading to delays and miscommunication. Additionally, the sheer number of handoffs – a single patient’s journey through the OR could involve 17 phone calls – resulted in inefficiency and wasted time. Finally, the lack of real-time updates meant staff weren’t always promptly notified of crucial developments, such as the completion of pre-operative procedures or the OR’s readiness for surgery.   

In a recent podcast episode, Dr. Michael Davis, associate chief medical information officer for Acute Care at Tufts Medical Center, shared the hospital’s journey toward optimizing OR efficiency, including the challenges Tufts faced and the impressive results they achieved after implementing TigerConnect. 

Optimizing workflows with automated communication 

Tufts implemented TigerConnect to streamline communication and collaboration among OR staff to address communication gaps and inefficient OR workflows. TigerConnect seamlessly integrated with their EMR system, enabling automated notifications. These notifications would be sent to relevant staff members based on pre-defined milestones within the EMR, such as completion of pre-operative procedures or room setup. This role-based messaging system ensured that the right person received the correct information at the right time, eliminating the need for unnecessary calls and texts. Consequently, Tufts significantly improved efficiency by replacing 17 different phone calls with just eight automated notifications, all without additional work required from their staff. 

Measurable improvements in OR efficiency 

In addition to the OR workflow improvements, the impact of TigerConnect on OR efficiency at Tufts Medical Center was significant. Dr. Davis highlighted the following improvements: 

• 70% increase in first-case on-time starts: Timely case starts are essential for maximizing OR utilization and reducing patient wait times. TigerConnect’s automated notifications significantly improved first-case on-time starts. 
• 6-Minute reduction in OR turnover time: Faster room turnover translates to more procedures performed and improved patient throughput. 
• Improved staff collaboration: Sharing information quickly and easily between staff is crucial for smooth OR scheduling and patient care. The TigerConnect Clinical Collaboration Platform tackles this challenge by providing healthcare professionals with secure tools to communicate, share vital details, and collaborate seamlessly.  
• Streamlined OR workflows: Through real-time, role-based communication and automated workflows, TigerConnect allowed Tufts to streamline its OR transitions, empowering OR teams to focus on patient care by minimizing administrative tasks and communication delays.  

Tufts Medical Center’s success story showcases the power of leveraging technology to optimize healthcare workflows. Replacing outdated communication methods with a secure, real-time platform like TigerConnect significantly improved OR efficiency, patient care, and staff satisfaction. 

Ready to learn more? 

Listen to the full podcast episode featuring Dr. Michael Davis to better understand Tufts Medical Center’s journey toward OR efficiency and the role TigerConnect played. 

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