Improving OR Utilization with Predictive Analytics

iQueue for Operating Rooms harnesses the power of predictive analytics and the cloud to unlock operational value in operating rooms.

iQueue for Operating Rooms is a lightweight, cloud-based SaaS solution that unlocks significant OR capacity so more cases can be performed in the same number of ORs. Surgeons and clinics can get increased access to OR time, and the right set of underutilized blocks can be collected and freed up. The solution also provides current, objective and credible reporting and one “source of truth”. This is achieved through three modules:

Exchange identifies and exposes inventory of open time to surgeons and clinics needing OR time through an “OpenTable for Open Time” like tool. Surgeons and clinics can easily discover and request time with one click from any mobile or desktop browser. Without iQueue for Operating Rooms, block release and request processes are often manual and ad hoc and open time is not visible and transparently made available to those needing it. The solution monitors booking patterns to identify blocks that are likely to be underutilized, and sends reminders to surgeons and schedulers to proactively release them rather than relying on an auto-release policy that often does not provide enough advanced notice to schedule a case in that time. If surgeons and clinics don’t see time available when they need it, they can add their request for time to a “Wish List” and be notified if it becomes available. Exchange ensures that when clinics can’t use their allocated time (because surgeons are at conferences, on vacation, have conflicting teaching schedules or other reasons), “no block is left behind”.

Collect provides intelligent decision support capability to specifically answer the big question: "Who can we take time allocated away from without impacting their existing case volume by day of week and by location?”  Collect mines patterns of OR usage by block owner, surgeon and service line to identify truly repurpose-able portions of time – we call it  “Collectable time” – as a means of providing perioperative leadership with the actionable guidance about how to “collect” underutilized blocks without impacting existing case volume. Collected blocks can be reallocated to new or existing surgeons, or to consolidate OR operations to fewer ORs.    

Analyze monitors OR performance to provide surgeons and administrators with a single source of truth based on metrics and KPIs that are credible, well-defined and understood. It helps surgeons and clinics be more proactive and productive by sending timely mobile alerts that tell them how they’re contributing to OR volumes, how their performance metrics are trending, and ways to improve their utilization. With Analyze, OR Managers gain access to objective data right at their fingertips. They can easily understand utilization patterns, what’s causing first case delays, long turnovers or last-minute cancellations. 

Benefits: Eight hours of unused OR time can mean $100,000-$200,000 in unrealized revenue. Our experience tells us that 10-20% of time is “collectable”. Across a location with 20 ORs, that’s roughly 2-3 ORs worth of time, which even at 60% utilization can be worth over $20 million in annual incremental revenue and increased patient access.

iQueue for Operating Rooms uses a unique combination of lean principles, predictive analytics, machine learning, and scalable software to help healthcare providers more effectively manage expensive, constrained resources.

University of Colorado Health (UCHealth) has seen a 47% median increase in the number of OR blocks released each month, those blocks released 10% earlier, and a 4% increase in OR utilization. That OR utilization increase translates to approximately $400,000 in additional revenue per OR per year.

We rely on sophisticated algorithms to mine OR case data, and cloud and mobile technologies to provide actionable guidance to surgeons, schedulers, and administrators.

Our goal is to triple the number of healthcare systems using the iQueue suite of products. Currently, 50 of the leading health systems in the country have deployed at least one or more products from the iQueue suite.

We will expand our solution to include other areas of the hospital that suffer from poor utilization: inpatient beds, labs, pharmacies, diagnostic imaging equipment, etc. Our five year vision is to be the provider of an "air traffic control" solution for hospitals.

iQueue for Operating Rooms is a cloud-based SaaS solution. The interface is accessible via any mobile or desktop browser. In addition, surgeon reminders and alerts can be delivered via email or text message directly to their devices.

iQueue for Operating Rooms has 12 customers who have deployed the solution, and an equal number in the final contracting/initial deployment stages. Customers include University of Colorado Health, Dignity Health, Oregon Health & Science University, OhioHealth, MultiCare Health, Parkview Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian, University of Cincinnati Health, University of Utah, Texas Health Resources, Ohio State University, and St. Peter's Hospital.

We expect to triple the number of health systems relying on iQueue for Operating Rooms to do more with less to meet more of the demand for healthcare services with the available resources in which they have already invested.

Widely recognized as an expert in lean principles, Founder and CEO Mohan Giridharadas spent 18 years at McKinsey & Company, where he co-created the lean service operations practice, and ran the North American lean manufacturing and service operations practices. 

Sanjeev Agrawal serves as the President and Chief Marketing Officer for LeanTaaS. He was Google’s first Head of Product Marketing. Since then, he has led three successful startups, all of whom were acquired. Sanjeev graduated Phi Beta Kappa with an EECS degree from MIT.

iQueue for Operating Rooms is offered using the SaaS model. We bill monthly and do not require our customers to sign long-term contracts.

We believe the annual recurring revenue from iQueue for Operating Rooms – as well as that from its sister solution, iQueue for Infusion Centers - provides long-term sustainability. We are also actively developing similar solutions for other departments within a hospital (clinics, labs, inpatient beds, diagnostic imaging equipment, etc.).

We believe the partnership with Solve will provide us with an opportunity to advance the case for predictive analytics and machine learning being just as critical to the long-term stability of our healthcare system as the work being done to influence clinical outcomes. We also believe we can help Solve; we have an extensive executive network within healthcare as well as virtually every hospital in the country as a prospective customer; our promotion of Solve can foster additional participation by other innovators.

Healthcare providers largely view advanced data science as the province of researchers and clinicians; Solve can help us make the case for the impact advanced data science can have in addressing the inefficiencies in healthcare operations.