Cancellation of urology operations
Clinical Governance: An International Journal
ISSN: 1477-7274
Article publication date: 1 April 2006
Abstract
Purpose
To establish the reasons for surgical cancellations in a urology department and to provide suggestions for their reduction.
Design/methodology/approach
Data for all patients who were cancelled between September 2004 and February 2005 were collected to determine the reasons for cancellations and the number of procedures cancelled on the day of surgery.
Findings
A total of 175 procedures were cancelled in a six‐month period, comprising 14.1 per cent of all elective operations scheduled. Of these, 25.7 per cent were cancelled on the day of surgery. The main reasons for cancellations were patients being unfit for surgery (20 per cent); patient reasons for cancellations, such as the date being inconvenient (20 per cent); operations no longer being necessary (16 per cent); and the surgeon being unavailable or unable to operate (10.3 per cent).
Originality/value
It is believed that at least 26 per cent of all cancellations are avoidable with simple strategies such as effective communication between surgeons and booking office staff. Other methods to reduce the number of cancellations are presented.
Keywords
Citation
Shah, J., Ansari, A. and Bhattacharyya, J. (2006), "Cancellation of urology operations", Clinical Governance: An International Journal, Vol. 11 No. 2, pp. 128-133. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777270610660501
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2006, Emerald Group Publishing Limited