DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/HH68-9N32
Defense Date
2014
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Dentistry
First Advisor
Patrice Wunsch
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose was to assess and understand operating room (OR) utilization and efficiency in a pediatric dental residency program. Methods: A retrospective study was performed using chart extraction from 778 patients completed by both pediatric dentistry faculty (n=7) and residents (n=17) in an ambulatory care setting over a 32 month period (between July 2010 and March 2013). Patterns in OR usage time were determined by documenting various timing metrics (start and stop times for anesthesia, start and stop times for the dental procedure, times for throat pack in and out), noting patient information (age and ASA patient classification status), and creating variables by grouping data by clinical provider type and dental procedure. OR usage time was analyzed using multiple regression to estimate the per-tooth or per-mouth time for each type of procedure. Results: The median procedure time was 75 minutes (range= 1 to 517 minutes). Multiple regression indicated that for the average patient, a faculty member took 63.8 minutes (95% CI = 60.8 to 66.7 minutes) and a resident took 81.9 minutes (95% CI = 78.7 to 85.0 minutes, P<.0001).These results demonstrate that the appropriate scheduling of operating room should be based on the proficiency level of provider as well as the complexity of the dental procedure. Conclusion: This study concludes that pediatric dental operating room planning and scheduling in teaching hospitals should take into account real constraints such as residents’ level of training and skill.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
May 2014