Have you ever considered the cost of operating room (OR) time? If you’re a nurse manager, you may find this cross-sectional analysis of OR costs interesting. The analysis of 302 critical care hospitals in California, covers fiscal years 2005 to 2014, focused on 2 revenue centers (surgery and recovery, ambulatory surgery) and considered direct expenses as well as indirect, including salary, benefits, and supplies. Direct expenses accounted for 54.6% of total expenses in inpatient settings and 59.1% in ambulatory settings. Salary and benefits were about two-thirds of indirect expenses; nonbillable supplies less than 10% of all expenses.

The final result? The mean cost of OR time is $36 to $37 per minute.

So, what does all of this mean to you? These are the first standardized estimates of OR cost, which you can use a benchmark for making value improvements in your organization. Get the analysis details here.

Source: jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/article-abstract/2673385?redirect=true&redirect=true