Mayo Clinic evaluates impact of OR design on team performance, efficiency

Editor's Note

Designing ORs with a focus on patient flow, room organization, and the needs of surgical teams can reduce burnout while improving workplace positivity and patient outcomes. That’s according to an April 9 report from Mayo Clinic, where researchers recently integrated 3D space capture technology with traditional focus groups to study how the design of surgical spaces contributes to performance and team well-being.

Consisting of surgeons, anesthesia providers, and allied health staff from three ORs at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, the five focus groups evaluated real-world team interactions with the environment and examined 3D models of existing ORs, then took surveys about problem areas of the layouts. Top-identified stressors identified by the surveys were noisy environments, disorganized patient flow, poor lighting, poor room organization, and lack of appropriate facilities, medical equipment and staff.

Based on the results, researchers concluded that changes such as widening doorways and corridors for patient beds would help address problems with disorganized flow, a key stressor. Seemingly small details, such as the distance to break rooms and lockers, can significantly affect how surgeons, nurses and other staff feel during a critical shift. Additionally, the research revealed that could be improved by placing equipment and supplies closer to point of use and improving lighting and device-screen visibility could improve all three operating rooms.