Presentation
Measuring Hidden Coordination Cost in Sterile Processing Disruption Response Using a Layered Entropy-Based Framework
DescriptionMissing or incomplete surgical instruments can disrupt care and create hidden coordination burden between sterile processing and operating room teams. Traditional measures such as delay time or case outcome do not capture how much communication, escalation, retrying, and cross-role coordination were required to recover. This presentation introduces an Entropy-Based Coordination Cost (ECC) framework for making that hidden coordination burden more visible and measurable. The framework represents disruption response as a coordination profile across actions, handoffs, communication channels, and pathway predictability, while also considering communication friction and coordination effort. Using four worked missing-instrument cases ordered from low to high coordination complexity, the presentation shows how similar outcomes can mask very different coordination demands. Some cases are costly because communication fails and teams must retry or switch channels, while others are costly because the response pathway becomes broader, more exploratory, and more dependent on cross-role escalation. The goal is to provide a practical way to compare disruption-response patterns, better understand the hidden work of recovery, and support future process redesign in sterile processing and other safety-critical healthcare settings.
Event Type
Lecture
TimeWednesday, October 21st1:30pm - 1:50pm PDT
Location
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