Automated operating room bookings should cut wait times

A new automated booking system for operating rooms at Sault Area Hospital should help to shorten wait times and prioritize patients with greater needs, says Marie Paluzzi, newly appointed vice president and chief of operations.

Speaking to the SAH board of directors at a meeting last night, Paluzzi said the automated system will eliminate time-consuming duplication.

It will also mean faster communication between health care providers wishing to book an operation for a patient and the hospital where the patient will receive the operation and recuperate after it.

"Physicians' offices previously would do a paper form and send it to our hospital. And in addition to that they had to input information into the [provincial] wait-time system," said Paluzzi.

With the new system, not only can the physician's office fill out the SAH form online but they can add additional orders to the form and information can also be sent to the wait-time information system as well, she said.

The automated system will improve the preparation process for patients because the preparation orders will be available in one place online.

This will eliminate time-consuming back-and-forth communication with the doctors' offices and reduce the chances that patient surgeries may be delayed because they were not fully prepared, said Paluzzi.