Reducing OR Turnover Time in Ophthalmology

Where turnover time is lost

• Waiting for the previous patient to be moved out
• Hunting for supplies and instruments
• Cleaning and setup done sequentially instead of in parallel
• Undefined roles, so everyone waits for someone else

Parallel, not sequential

The biggest gains come from doing work in parallel. The next case's supplies can be staged while the current case is still running, and cleaning and setup can be split across defined roles so no one is idle waiting for a step to finish.

Standard work for turnover

Turnover improves fastest when it is standardized — written down, with clear roles, and posted where the work happens.

• Document the best-known turnover sequence with the team who does it
• Assign a clear role to each person, every time
• Stage the next case before the current one ends
• Post the standard at the point of use and refine it continuously

Measure it to move it

Track turnover time per case and trend it on a visible board. What gets measured, posted, and discussed in a huddle improves — reliably.