An examination of the literature surrounding leadership and change management to implement a Golden Theatre Initiative: Reducing inefficiencies within a neurosurgical operating department.
Helen Louise Fowler
PMID 39305049WHAT IT FOUND
The 'Golden Patient' model, where the first surgical patient is prepared the night before, reduced cancellations and delays in cited studies.
The author proposes extending this to a 'Golden Theatre' for all low-risk cases, but offers no new data on its effectiveness.
Key findings
01The Golden Patient Initiative involves selecting and medically optimising the first patient of the day the night before to reduce morning delays.
02In one cited study, patient cancellations dropped from 99 to 49 in the six months following implementation of the Golden Patient Initiative.
03The author proposes a 'Golden Theatre' model where only low-risk, minor procedures are listed on a specific theatre to maximise throughput, but this remains a theoretical proposal.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This is a narrative review, not a systematic review or original research, so it is subject to selection bias and does not provide high-level evidence for the proposed 'Golden Theatre' initiative. The proposed 'Golden Theatre' initiative is a theoretical suggestion by the author; no data is presented on its actual implementation or outcomes. The studies cited regarding GPI were conducted in different contexts (e.g., neurosurgery vs orthopaedics) with varying definitions of success, making direct comparison difficult. The review focuses on NHS settings, so the feasibility of these changes may differ in other healthcare systems.
Declared interests
The author declared no potential conflicts of interest and received no financial support for the research, authorship, or publication of this article.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the 'Golden Theatre' initiative has been proven to work. The positive results cited (such as reduced cancellations) apply to the 'Golden Patient' model (optimising only the first case), not the proposed whole-theatre model, which remains untested in this paper.