Five critical strategies for achieving operational efficiency.

I n a recent report that summarizes the reasons that hospitals undertake construction projects, “operational efficiency and patient flow” are cited as the most common objectives (Carpenter 2004). Intuitively, improvements in operating efficiency should flow from more modern and efficient building systems, streamlined clinical and business processes, more appropriate departmental adjacencies, and enhanced clinical and information technologies. Research conducted by TriBrook Healthcare Consultants in 2003 shows that expected improvements in operational efficiency are often achieved in replacement facilities but that such enhancements are not obtained in all cases and are often attributable as much to increased service volumes as they are to fundamental positive changes in service delivery systems (Hosking and Jarvis 2003). In light of this evidence, healthcare leaders should adopt a proactive and disciplined approach to facility planning and activation to achieve operational objectives and to set the stage for sustained high performance.