An operating room scheduling software is an easy way to organize your operating rooms. It can improve your efficiency, streamline patient flow, and simplify surgery planning for you and your staff. It can also help you stay on top of all the details for each operation. If your operating room scheduling software isn’t keeping you organized, keep reading for more ideas on finding the best one for your hospital.
Understand Your Needs
Operating rooms are enormous, and they require various equipment that you need to keep organized. It would help if you thought about your company’s needs when choosing an operating room scheduling software. Think about the size of the operating rooms and the equipment you have in them.
You’ll also want to consider how many surgeries you schedule in a day and how many people are on your staff. If you have multiple operating rooms, each room should be able to work on its own. Make sure they can send reports to the main pharmacy and the hospital system.
Compatible with Other Systems
An operating room scheduling software program should be compatible with other systems you use so that you can send the results into the system with no problems. This way, you can easily track all of your outcomes and results for your day of surgeries.
It also helps if the program is compatible with many hospital systems, so you can easily switch around hospitals if needed. A system that is not compatible could cause problems for your day or cause you to lose valuable data. You can easily make sure your operating rooms are working with the program by using the Internet.
Easy to Use
Ease of use is one of the essential features to look for in an operating room scheduling software program. The program should be easy to use, but it should also be easy to learn. You want something very user-friendly, and that won’t take a lot of practice before you’re comfortable using it.
You also want something that doesn’t have a lot of bugs or glitches that could cause you problems. It will take less time to train your staff on the program if they have an easy one to learn and use.
Scheduling Capability
Your operating room scheduling software needs to give you the capability to create and manage your schedules for your operating rooms with ease. You want the program to track everything for you and make sure you can update your schedule as it changes throughout the day. It will be easier to learn how to use the program for your day if it’s simple enough that your nurses or surgeons can quickly learn how to use it. You don’t want something difficult to learn and hard to recreate each time you need it.
Accessibility
Your operating room scheduling software should be on the computer so you can access it anywhere. You don’t want to need to find your paper schedules when you are in the middle of the operating room waiting for an accident to happen. Accessibility also makes it easier for your staff members to learn how to use the program quickly. It allows them to practice on their own time, which can help them get used to using it in the Operating Room (OR).
Price & Licensing Plan
The price of this software should be equal to what you are getting in return. It should be a good deal for a program that gives you the features and functions you’re looking for. A lower price may not give you as much as an expensive one, but it should be at a reasonable cost. It would help if you also looked into any licensing plan offered or discussed the costs with your staff or your hospital.
Support & Training
Take advantage of any training provided by the software vendor for this program. If you find that the software is not compatible with your system, you need to get help from the company that made it or a computer consultant you can call. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you have any problems using the program.
Configuration Settings
You want a configuration setting of your operating room scheduling software to be easy and quick to change. You don’t want hours of work going into building a schedule and having it all get messed up by a more specific setting that someone forgot about or didn’t understand.
As you can see, there are quite a few things to think about when choosing an operating room scheduling software. If you need help with your decision, talk to your IT department, or ask the hospital you want to use for more information about their software. You can also consult your financial advisor for pricing plans and cost breakdowns.
It is essential to define what needs you have an operating room scheduling software will fulfill before deciding. Each program may have specific features that will appeal more to one business than another.