Application of Digital Technology in a Surgical Center of a Brazilian Hospital

Surgical planning is essential, and its effectiveness depends on alignment with essential sub-processes such as supplies, bed management, intensive care unit and material sterilization center. Above all, one of the most relevant pieces of information when planning operating rooms is the duration of each surgical procedure. Therefore, the aim of this research is to present an approach to collect surgical procedure times using digital technology. METHOD: As for the research methodology, this article was developed within a qualitative interface and the action-research method was implemented. RESULTS: The results directly show that the proposed approach can effectively help hospital managers in the indicated context, and the proper use of this digital technology can optimize care, reduce waiting times and minimize the total number of surgeries canceled monthly. CONCLUSION: The conventional approach used in manufacturing, of timing processes on production lines, is still widely used, but within the operating room it is impractical and not very applicable. Therefore, this research presents an innovative tool to assist in the planning of surgeries, with regard to the collection of surgical procedures and, consequently, to improve the efficiency of hospital management in the context studied, through more effective surgical planning.