{
  "abstract": "Objectives To evaluate the National Health Service (NHS) Federated Data Platform (FDP) Inpatient (IP) Care Coordination Solution (CCS) digital scheduling tool on elective theatre utilisation.Methods An interrupted time series assessed changes in theatre utilisation and cancellations following tool adoption (January 2022). Weekly data spanned 90 weeks (April 2021–December 2023). Outcomes included weekly median theatre utilisation (actual, booked and bookings per session) and the percentage of cancelled bookings. Models incorporated a 5-week lag and estimated level (step-change) and trend (slope) effects.Results Postintervention level and trend increases were observed for booked (β=4.40, p=0.045; β=0.26, p=0.002) and actual (β=3.98, p=0.064; β=0.23, p=0.006) utilisation. Bookings per session showed a significant level increase (β=0.34, p=0.002) with no trend change (β=0.00, p=0.790). Across the postintervention period, compared with counterfactual estimates, booked and actual utilisation were 15.0% (95% CI 13.4% to 16.5%, p<0.0001) and 12.2% (95% CI 10.8% to 13.5%, p<0.0001) higher, while bookings per session were 10.9% (95% CI 9.5% to 12.4%, p<0.0001) higher. Significant positive effects were observed for urology, general surgery, gynaecology, plastic surgery and ophthalmology. A significant upward trend in cancellation rates was associated with the introduction of the tool (β=2.1, p=0.001).Discussion Findings suggest that centralised digital scheduling tools can improve theatre capacity by enabling more efficient use of existing capacity through improved scheduling visibility. Future research should explore differences in specialty-level usage and long-term sustainability of gains.Conclusion The introduction of the NHS FDP IP CCS product was associated with improved elective theatre utilisation.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Elena Lammila-Escalera"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Gabriele Kerr"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Geva Greenfield"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Benedict Hayhoe"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Natalie Brewer"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Carla Hearsum"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK",
        "Centre for Health Economics and Policy Innovation, Imperial College Business School, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Grazia Antonacci"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Natasha Dsouza"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Azeem Majeed"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Ana Luisa Neves"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Impact of the Federated Data Platform’s digital surgery scheduling system on elective theatre utilisation at an NHS Trust: an interrupted time series analysis",
  "uid": "dd33cf86-d56b-5cac-94e0-44b8fcc3377e"
}