Table 1.
Selected performance indicators of an AEC
| Performance indicators | Definition |
|---|---|
| Operational indicators | |
| Facility time, min | The average total time spent by patients in AEC (time between initial entry and exit from the AEC) |
| Registration time, min | The average time between entry into AEC and completion of registration |
| Preoperative time, min | The average time between the end of registration and transfer out of the preoperative bay |
| Endoscopy room time, min | The average time between entry into an endoscopy room and transfer to a recovery room |
| Facility utilization, % | Percentage of time a specific location is used for providing patient care and maintenance/cleaning (instead of remaining unoccupied) |
| Waiting room | |
| Preoperative bays | |
| Endoscopy rooms | |
| Recovery bays | |
| COVID-19 testing/screening area | |
| Waiting time for patients, min | The average wait time for patients to acquire a specific location, which is currently not available (being used for another patient or undergoing maintenance/cleaning) |
| Waiting for preoperative bays | |
| Waiting for endoscopy rooms | |
| Waiting for recovery room | |
| Waiting for COVID-19 screening and testing | |
| Number of late discharges | Discharges that are completed after the scheduled closing time of the AEC (17:30) |
| Overtime | Daily average length of time a unit is operating past its operating hours (1730) |
| Productivity indicators | |
| Throughput | Number of patients/endoscopy room/day |
| Staffing utilization, % | The percentage of the time when staff is engaged in ongoing patient care and completing related paperwork/maintenance/cleaning (instead of remaining idle) |
| Physician utilization | |
| Nursing utilization | |
| Preoperative RN | |
| Recovery RNs | |
| CRNA | |
| Ancillary staff utilization | |
| Endoscopy technicians | |
| Certified nursing assistant | |
| Clerk | |
| Triage technician | |
| Total staff hours per case (excluding physicians and CRNAs∗) | Total staff hours divided by the number of patients per day |
| Financial indicators | |
| Net revenue per patient | Calculated by the total estimated reimbursement for facility fees per patient Calculated by the total staffing cost by hourly wage per patient Percentage of value-added time (based on utilization) divided by the total amount of staffing time |
| Staffing cost per patient (excluding physicians and CRNAs∗) | |
| Percent value-added† (activity-based costing) staffing time (excluding physicians and CRNAs∗) | |
AEC, Ambulatory endoscopy center; RN, registered nurse; CRNA, certified nurse anesthetist.
∗
Physicians and CRNAs are reimbursed for billable professional services that are not included in the facility fees.
†
Value-added time was calculated using the average costing method by dividing total average staffing utilization time (when the staff was actively engaged in patient care or related activities) divided by the total staffing time.11