Correct me if I am wrong
For infrastructure, such as the catheter laboratory or surgical operating theatre, to get the most return of investment you must keep the them running 24 hours a day.
For investments in equipment, such endoscopes and computed tomography scans, you can run long periods but must have adequate downtime for repairs, cool-down, and maintenance. If you run them like how you run infrastructure you might end up putting more into repairs and losing more through machine breakdowns that causes delays and backlog of cases.
Human resources are the one that requires the most down time because the longer you work them the more mistakes they make and in the end you spend more time cleaning up mistakes than clearing the backlog. The most they should be worked is 12 hours and that is pushing it.
So if you have 2 scope rooms they have to be running 24 hours a day except for cleaning and maintenance. 3 endoscopy systems to be shared between the two rooms, each one only on for 16 hours a day. System A in room 1 being worked from 8am to 12am and rested from 12am to 8am; System B in room 2 from 8am to 8am but rested from 8am to 2pm; while System A and B are being rested System C will take over. For the 2 scope rooms you as a minimum will need to 4 teams comprising of operator, nursing, and technicians, though I think ideal will be 6 teams.
In conclusion to maximise the efficiency and return of investment without incurring too much cost from errors, backlog, and delay, number of systems needed is 1.5 times the number of laboratories or theatres and the number of teams operating should two to three times that number. The same applies radiology equipment. Only in this way we can reduce backlog, waiting period and waiting list.
For investments in equipment, such endoscopes and computed tomography scans, you can run long periods but must have adequate downtime for repairs, cool-down, and maintenance. If you run them like how you run infrastructure you might end up putting more into repairs and losing more through machine breakdowns that causes delays and backlog of cases.
Human resources are the one that requires the most down time because the longer you work them the more mistakes they make and in the end you spend more time cleaning up mistakes than clearing the backlog. The most they should be worked is 12 hours and that is pushing it.
So if you have 2 scope rooms they have to be running 24 hours a day except for cleaning and maintenance. 3 endoscopy systems to be shared between the two rooms, each one only on for 16 hours a day. System A in room 1 being worked from 8am to 12am and rested from 12am to 8am; System B in room 2 from 8am to 8am but rested from 8am to 2pm; while System A and B are being rested System C will take over. For the 2 scope rooms you as a minimum will need to 4 teams comprising of operator, nursing, and technicians, though I think ideal will be 6 teams.
In conclusion to maximise the efficiency and return of investment without incurring too much cost from errors, backlog, and delay, number of systems needed is 1.5 times the number of laboratories or theatres and the number of teams operating should two to three times that number. The same applies radiology equipment. Only in this way we can reduce backlog, waiting period and waiting list.
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