Improving Intra-Operative Parathyroid Hormone Result Times at the University Hospitals
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Abstract
Intra-operative parathyroid hormone (ioPTH) levels are the current gold standard for assessing completeness of resection in parathyroidectomy surgery. Due to the time-sensitive nature of these results, delays in processing ioPTH samples lead to non-value-added time (NVAT) in the operating room, which generates unnecessary financial burdens and potential safety hazards for both patients and the hospital system. Baseline analysis of data from 191 parathyroidectomy cases performed by the UT Southwestern Endocrine Surgery Group at Clements University Hospital (CUH) and the Outpatient Surgery Center (OSC) between September 2020 and April 2021 identified a statistically significant delay in the sample-to-lab interval time in cases at the OSC (mean of 27 minutes) compared to cases at CUH (mean of 8 minutes). The need for a lab courier at the OSC is likely a major contributor to this NVAT, as the OSC does not have an in-house lab. Though altering the lab infrastructure to make in-house ioPTH processing at the OSC would be the most effective way to equalize the delay, it was also infeasible within the time constraints of this project given the depth of high-level decision-making this would necessitate. I chose to focus instead on optimizing parathyroidectomy case preparation. I worked with CUH OR nursing clinical leads to modify the Epic template text of surgeon preference cards, which OR nursing staff use to prepare for cases. Analysis of pre- and post-change data from 43 parathyroidectomy cases performed in February and March of 2022 at CUH revealed post-change special cause variation in both the sample-to-lab and lab-to-result interval times. Moving forward, many other interventions are available to continue to improve team communication and knowledge sharing and protocolize contingency plans; further work also remains to be done to address logistical constraints at the OSC on an institutional level.