| Course | IHP 640 Measurement, Analysis, & Models for Performance Improvement |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | MS Healthcare Administration discussion post on operating room costs and efficiency |
| Length | About 360 words, 3 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Southern New Hampshire University |
| Program | MS Healthcare Administration |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for IHP 640 Module 1
Module One Discussion
The Price of Seventeen Minutes
Our surgical services director asked me a simple question: what do late first cases cost us? In our 14 operating rooms, 46% of first cases start late, by a median of 17 minutes. Multiplying that out, we lose roughly 110 room-minutes every weekday morning, or about 27,000 a year. The harder part is putting a price on each minute.
Childers and Maggard-Gibbons (2018) analyzed financial data from California hospitals and estimated the cost of operating room time at roughly $36 to $37 per minute on average, with wide variation across hospitals. About two-thirds of that reflected indirect and fixed costs such as buildings, equipment and administration rather than supplies used in a case. Using their figure, our 27,000 minutes would appear to cost almost $1 million a year.
Macario (2010) warns that this kind of calculation can mislead. The cost of an operating room minute depends on what is counted and on whether costs change when minutes are gained or lost. Most staff are scheduled for the day regardless of when the first incision happens, and the building and equipment cost the same either way. A late start does not save those fixed costs; it wastes them. The real financial effects appear elsewhere: overtime when the day runs late, cases turned away or pushed to competitors and staff frustration that feeds turnover.
Dexter et al. (2004) add a management perspective. They argue that decisions on the day of surgery should put patient safety first, then operating room efficiency, defined by minimizing both underused and overused staffed time, and only then patient waiting and convenience. Raw utilization is a poor target, because a suite can look highly utilized while running into expensive overtime. Our late starts matter because they push afternoons past scheduled hours; we paid about $2.1 million in perioperative overtime last year.
So my answer to the director is not a single number. Late starts waste fixed capacity we have already paid for and generate overtime we should not have to pay, while limiting cases we could add. For classmates: how does your organization put a value on wasted time, and does it distinguish fixed from variable costs?
References
Childers, C. P., & Maggard-Gibbons, M. (2018). Understanding costs of care in the operating room. JAMA Surgery, 153(4), Article e176233. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamasurg.2017.6233
Dexter, F., Epstein, R. H., Traub, R. D., Xiao, Y., & Warltier, D. C. (2004). Making management decisions on the day of surgery based on operating room efficiency and patient waiting times. Anesthesiology, 101(6), 1444-1453. https://doi.org/10.1097/00000542-200412000-00027
Macario, A. (2010). What does one minute of operating room time cost? Journal of Clinical Anesthesia, 22(4), 233-236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinane.2010.02.003
What the IHP 640 Module 1 instructions ask for
The first IHP 640 discussion usually asks you to examine how performance is measured or valued in a health care operation and why it matters. Keep the lead post compact, a few hundred words supported by scholarly sources in APA 7, and save energy for substantive peer replies. Quantify a real or realistic performance issue, explain how it should be measured or valued using the readings and distinguish concepts that are easily confused, such as average and marginal cost. Close by asking classmates how their organizations measure or value the same issue. IHP 640 graders notice clean headings in IHP 640 papers. IHP 640 names and dates need checking before IHP 640 submission. IHP 640 prompts vary by term, so recheck IHP 640 directions.
How this IHP 640 Module 1 discussion example is built
In this post, a composite analyst prices late first cases in a 14-room surgical suite, estimating about 27,000 lost room-minutes a year. Childers and Maggard-Gibbons's estimate of about $36 to $37 per minute suggests nearly $1 million, but Macario explains why fixed costs make that figure misleading, and Dexter and colleagues' decision priorities show why overtime and underused time matter more than raw utilization. The writer concludes that delays cost most through overtime and lost capacity and asks classmates how they value wasted time. IHP 640 students can reuse this structure for IHP 640 work. IHP 640 claims here trace to cited IHP 640 sources. IHP 640 readers can adapt each section to IHP 640 data.
Where the IHP 640 Module 1 rubric puts the points
Discussion posts in IHP 640 are generally assessed on accurate quantification, correct use of measurement and costing concepts, thoughtful application of readings, attention to how numbers can mislead, APA 7 and peer responses that add analysis. Posts that separate fixed from variable effects, or averages from margins, tend to be rewarded. Credit drops when a single figure is presented as the answer without questioning what it includes, or when replies add nothing beyond agreement. IHP 640 marks favor careful formatting across IHP 640 sections. IHP 640 citations keep every IHP 640 argument credible. IHP 640 instructors weigh evidence heavily in IHP 640 grading.
IHP 640 Module 1 help: the mistakes that cost points
First IHP 640 posts often multiply minutes by an average cost and stop there, cite no evidence or confuse utilization with efficiency. Replies that only compliment classmates earn little. Quantify your issue, question what an average cost includes, explain where the real financial effects fall and connect the readings to a decision. Share the operation you have in mind and the IHP 640 prompt so the post fits your setting. IHP 640 drafts start well from a IHP 640 outline. IHP 640 feedback already received guides IHP 640 revisions. IHP 640 rubrics posted in Brightspace clarify IHP 640 expectations.
Get IHP 640 Module 1 written to your instructions
Share the IHP 640 Module 1 prompt and an operational issue you want to measure or value. The post will quantify it, apply the readings, separate fixed from variable effects and invite classmates to compare approaches, within 24 to 48 hours, free the first time. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Southern New Hampshire University document.
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IHP 640 Module 1 questions, answered
Where can I find a free IHP 640 Module 1 Discussion sample?
IHP 640 Module 1 appears in full on this page as an analyst's post on pricing operating room delays and separating average from marginal cost.
How much does an operating room minute cost?
One California analysis estimated about $36 to $37 per minute on average, though the figure varies widely and includes many fixed costs.
Why is average cost per minute misleading for delays?
Most costs are fixed for the day, so a delay wastes them rather than adding new cost; overtime and lost cases are the real effects.
Is high operating room utilization always good?
No; utilization can be high while overtime runs up, so efficiency should consider both underused and overused time.
What should day-of-surgery decisions prioritize?
Patient safety first, then operating room efficiency, then patient waiting and convenience, according to one widely cited framework.