Effects of Different Communication Tools on the Efficiency of Anesthesiologists in the Perioperative Setting

Objective To assess if Real Time Locating Systems (RTLS) technology has an effect on the perioperative efficiency of anesthesiologists at our institution. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed for all outpatient and short-stay patients who received general anesthesia and monitored anesthesia care between January and June of 2016. Patients over 18 years with an ASA classification of 1, 2, and 3 were included. Time was used as a measure of efficiency between two groups of anesthesiologists.These two comparison groups were as follows: Group 1: Anesthesiologists at the academic center's main campus who do not have access to RTLSGroup 2: Anesthesiologists at Josie Robertson Ambulatory Surgical Center where RTLS is available and use of RTLS is compulsoryTwo outcome measures were collected from patient electronic records: DUR1: Duration between when patient is admitted to a presurgical bed and preoperative evaluation by the attending anesthesiologistDUR2: Duration between when patient is admitted to the operating room and initiation of induction by the attending anesthesiologist. Results Anesthesiologists who had access to RTLS technology were found to be more efficient in completing their preoperative anesthesia evaluation and initiating intraoperative induction. They took less time to complete these tasks and the difference was statistically significant to p<0.0001. Conclusion Anesthesiologists at our institution, who have access to RTLS as an additional communication tool, were found to be consistently more efficient in their perioperative workflow. There are confounding factors that can account for the shorter times and more efficient perioperative workflow of anesthesiologists. With continued application and investigation over time, the utility of RTLS on workflow efficiency of healthcare providers will become more apparent.