The pandemic has increased the numbers of patients waiting for surgery, as well as the waiting time for these operations. An unsustainable situation that can now be reversed thanks to MYSPHERA’s surgical programmer, created in collaboration with the Virgen del Rocío Hospital and the University of Seville.
The mere existence of waiting lists in the public health field has always been a controversial and difficult issue to address. The fact is that one of the main reasons for going to a hospital is the need for surgery, a need that is not always met in the time period we would like or expect. A situation that is the direct consequence of the unequal growth between demand (due to the increase in the population’s health expectations) and the existing resources to meet that demand.
The rate of surgical operations per 1,000 inhabitants/year, increased on average, in Spain, by 3.27% between 2014 and 2016, 8.17% between 2012 and 2016 and 2.47% between 2017 and 2018.
A reality that has become even more worrying due to the health effects of the pandemic. COVID-19 has broken all short- and medium-term programming and forecasting, leaving the highest figures on the waiting list since 2006.
Reducing waiting lists by increasing the efficiency of the Surgical Block
Given the lack of resources and the over-exertion that medical professionals have been making since the beginning of the pandemic, it is not fair that the responsibility for reducing these waiting lists should again fall on them. What is really important is to carry out an analysis of the work and resources available, so as to optimise them as much as possible.
The organisation of the Surgical Block is a complicated management task and involves very few procedures. It is precisely at this point that our new surgical programmer comes into play.
This technology, developed in collaboration with the Virgen del Rocío Hospital and the University of Seville, allows us to automate most of this process by creating equitable schedules based on existing demand that take into account the various factors involved (priority of operations, patient availability, average operating times, maximum waiting time, etc.).
Our surgical programmer, taking into account the factors described above, generates an efficient program that optimizes the performance of the BQ. This information must be validated by all parties involved (surgeons and patients). If any of the proposed interventions cannot be confirmed, the system reprograms them until the entire schedule is balanced.
The importance of the MYSPHERA system in the public health field
The technology developed by MYSPHERA is not a novelty within the health framework, however, until now there have only been programmers designed for private models that do not contemplate waiting lists. Our programmer is capable of optimising BQ, directly reducing waiting times, and even goes one step further by feeding back into the ORVital system.
The integrated BQ management platform allows the hospital surgical process to be measured truthfully and continuously, providing the programmer with the necessary information to increase its precision.n.
In addition, ORVital offers task automation, real-time information panels, data analysis and an information system for patient relatives through an App.
In this way, MYSPHERA creates a perfect symbiosis between the system and the real needs of patients and professionals
