How Real-Time OR Data Entry & Display Provides Real-World Benefits

Systems for managing electronic hospital records (EHR) are critical for recording, storing, and protecting patient data, but these systems fall short in situations where real-time data is needed, such as in the surgical department. Relying on time-consuming data entry by busy OR staff, EHR systems alone simply cannot capture and share the level information that surgical departments need to keep things running as smoothly as possible.

Real-time surgical status data has always been a hospital goal. This goal can be achieved when surgical nurses use systems like LiveData to input and track surgical status in real-time with a simple click. Displaying this up-to-date information and sharing it across the department leads to a more efficient perioperative workflow.

Real-Time Data & Display Improves Patient Safety
Tracking and displaying data in real-time improves the general function of an operating room, allowing everyone on the OR team to see the same information at a glance. Instead of being tethered to a computer, circulating nurses can make updates to surgical status with the push of a button and no interruption to workflow. This allows nurses to keep their focus where it really belongs—on the patient rather than a workstation. Safety is also improved by decreasing surgical status request interruptions, as the information entered in real-time can be displayed dynamically throughout the department.

Dynamic Data Display Improves Situational AwarenessTo maximize the usefulness of real-time data entry in the OR, the information needs to be displayed and dynamically updated. In the OR, this means, for example, displaying the status of the time-out and patient data, possibly including trend lines for vital signs.

Outside the operating room, this means displaying the surgical status of all the ORs throughout the department. This empowers OR managers to see when a case is running long and make adjustments to OR assignments on the fly, allowing the rest of the staff to see these adjustments live. This live view helps nurses see OR readiness to prioritize their next tasks, making sure patients and operating rooms are ready at the same time. This, in turn, increases on-time starts and helps drive the utilization of clinical resources.

Real-Time Data Improves KPIs and Data Confidence 
By improving the overall function of the perioperative workflow, real-time data entry will inevitably improve hospital’s key performance indicators. Data from over a million surgeries shows that hospitals utilizing LiveData see surgical block utilization increase by 34%. They also see a 36% increase in first case on time starts. More efficient perioperative processes mean a better, safer process for patients and staff.

But the value of real-time data to reporting goes beyond KPI improvement.  When data is entered in real-time in the OR, the C-Suite, surgical executives, and clinicians can have confidence in the monthly numbers being reported. Nurses aren’t relying on memory or forced to resort to handwritten notes to enter data into an EHR after the fact.

Reap the Benefits of Real-Time Data Entry with LiveData
Hospitals may question the need to invest more capital in another software system for their staff to learn. But the benefits of real-time data entry and display for patients and staff are measurable. Increases in efficiency and safety lead to capacity growth that result in a revenue increase that quickly exceeds the investment.