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Process Optimization | Healthcare

Process Optimization in Hospitals: Increasing Operating Room Productivity and Reducing Patient Turnaround Time at the Asklepios Group

At a pulmonary specialty clinic belonging to the Asklepios Group, three operating rooms were not being utilized to their full capacity; patients were waiting unnecessarily long for appointments and staying at the clinic longer than necessary. BOLD KBC Center for Innovation analyzed using the disruptive “The BOLD Way” method analyzed the entire end-to-end process and designed a new referral management system and optimized the suturing-to-incision time through systematic innovation. Result: Patient turnaround time was reduced by 30%, two operating rooms were utilized to capacity, a third operating room was freed up and profitably leased—and revenue and profit were increased by 25%.

Process Optimization in Hospitals: By the Numbers

Increased Revenue Through Improved Operating Room Utilization
Optimizing Patient Turnaround Time
3 Operating Rooms
Analyzed and Restructured

The Customer

Asklepios Group, which operates a specialized pulmonary clinic

As Germany’s leading private hospital group, the Asklepios Group operates a broad network of medical facilities. The project focused on a specialized clinic dedicated to the treatment of lung diseases, equipped with three operating rooms. Although the clinic had significant surgical capacity, it was not yet utilizing it optimally. Excessively long wait times, longer-than-average lengths of stay, and insufficient utilization of the operating rooms indicated that the patient flow needed to be examined holistically. The challenges were not limited to the operating room area. Referral management, admission, the integration of nursing care, follow-up care, and discharge also influenced the efficiency of the entire treatment pathway. This created a need for the Asklepios Group to restructure processes along the entire patient pathway and utilize existing capacities more efficiently.

The Project

Process Optimization in Hospitals Through Analysis of the Entire Patient Flow

BOLD KBC Center for Innovation, in collaboration with the Asklepios Group, conducted a disruptive analysis of the entire patient flow process, from referral through admission, surgery, and postoperative care to discharge. The focus was on what is known as the “suture-to-incision time”: the period from the start of suturing to the next surgical procedure, which is a key determinant of operating room efficiency. The detailed analysis identified opportunities for optimization that had not previously been on the agenda. 

Subsequently, BOLD KBC Center for Innovation launched a project in which identified areas were systematically reevaluated, new perspectives were highlighted, and innovations were introduced. A new patient intake management system prepared patients earlier and in a more targeted manner. Early involvement of nursing staff shortened turnaround time, and automated administration reduced the workload on doctors and nursing staff. 

This approach follows the logic of “The BOLD Way”—a structured innovation methodology developed by the BOLD KBC Center for Innovation—which systematically rethinks existing processes rather than merely optimizing them incrementally. In line with the “Division” principle, the entire workflow was broken down into its constituent parts: referral, admission, surgery, postoperative care, and discharge. Following the “Relation” principle, dependencies between referral management, nursing, and administration were either reestablished or eliminated. 

Portrait photo of John Dowling, a partner at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with short, graying hair and square dark glasses looks calmly and confidently into the camera. He is wearing a dark navy blue suit over a light blue shirt without a tie, with one hand in his pants pocket.
Portrait photo of John Dowling, a partner at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with short, graying hair and square dark glasses looks calmly and confidently into the camera. He is wearing a dark navy blue suit over a light blue shirt without a tie, with one hand in his pants pocket.

This Is How We View Process Optimization in Hospitals

For the BOLD KBC Center for Innovation, process optimization in hospitals does not mean speeding up individual processes in isolation. It means examining the entire patient journey and ensuring a seamless transition between referral, admission, surgery, nursing care, and discharge.

John Dowling, Partner at KBC

The result

Measurable increase in productivity and patient satisfaction

Process optimization at the hospital led to demonstrable success. By optimizing the time between incisions and sutures, two operating rooms were utilized to full capacity, a third operating room was freed up, and it was profitably leased to affiliated physicians. Patient turnaround time was reduced by 30% through the early involvement of nursing staff. 

A new patient referral management system enabled more targeted patient preparation. Administrative tasks were automated, and revenue and profit increased by 25%. The project demonstrates how systematic process optimization in a hospital positively impacts patients, staff, and financial performance in equal measure. The combination of a 30% reduction in turnaround time, a 25% increase in revenue, and the leasing of the freed-up operating room demonstrates that this methodological framework supports reliable and measurable results even in complex clinical processes. 

Portrait photo of John Dowling, a partner at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with short, gray-streaked hair and distinctive dark brown rectangular glasses looks calmly and intently into the camera. He is wearing a dark blue suit with a matching jacket and pants over a light blue shirt without a tie; one hand is casually in his pants pocket, the other loosely at his side, and he maintains an upright and confident posture.
Portrait photo of John Dowling, a partner at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with short, gray-streaked hair and distinctive dark brown rectangular glasses looks calmly and intently into the camera. He is wearing a dark blue suit with a matching jacket and pants over a light blue shirt without a tie; one hand is casually in his pants pocket, the other loosely at his side, and he maintains an upright and confident posture.
John Dowling
Partners

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