[Modern operating room management in the workflow of surgery. Spectrum of tasks and challenges of the future].

The operating unit is one of the cost-intensive facilities in a surgical clinic with a pacemaking function for most of the internal procedures. The power of performance of the operating unit is based on the cooperation of all disciplines and professions involved. The key to management of the operating unit is not only to coordinate the daily procedures, but also to interact with support personnel. To ensure successful OR management, the internal structure of the OR must fit the clinical tasks and the available quantity of personnel in each profession must be coordinated. Sufficient utilization of resources and equipment must be guaranteed without cost-intensive over-capacities and patient flow must be orientated to OR capacities. The development of such a business structure requires the management to clearly define the goal, to know the actual on-site data in detail with regard to the idiosyncratic workings of each specialty and to clearly assign the competence of each member of the team working in the OR. Coordination of the operating unit is the main task of OR management, which must ensure the following: transparent and coordinated schedule management in the various operative specialties, goal-directed changes of the schedule with incorporation of emergencies, as well as effective organization of staff. In order to realize these tasks, it is reasonable to implement interdisciplinary rules of procedures. In addition, the assignment of a neutral decision-making body within the OR and the creation of an information center for all OR personnel. The challenge of OR organization in the future is to implement more effective documentation systems and active controlling within the OR. One can ensure adequate utilization of resources in the OR with prospectively oriented planning. Better transparency of operations in the OR contributes to increased efficiency. Implementation of quality management is the foundation for a successfully operating surgical hospital. Not only the productivity of individual members of the staff, but also the precise documentation of the quality of results will become important parameters in a successful surgical hospital, whose nucleus is the OR.