TY - JOUR T1 - COVID-19 and the duration of operating room procedures in Ontario: a population-based retrospective study JF - Canadian Journal of Surgery JO - CAN J SURG SP - E675 LP - E682 DO - 10.1503/cjs.011521 VL - 65 IS - 5 AU - Jasmin Kantarevic AU - Nadine Chami AU - Chris Vinden AU - Joanna Nadolski AU - Michael Adamson AU - Yin Li AU - Sharada Weir AU - James G. Wright AU - Andrew McClure AU - Samantha Hill Y1 - 2022/10/12 UR - http://canjsurg.ca/content/65/5/E675.abstract N2 - Background: Studies have estimated that a large backlog of procedures was generated by emergency measures implemented in Ontario, Canada, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when nonessential and scheduled procedures were postponed. Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the time needed to perform a procedure may help to determine the resources needed to tackle the substantial backlog caused by the deferral of cases. The purpose of this study was to examine the duration of operating room (OR) procedures before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to inform planning around changes in required resources.Methods: A population-based, retrospective cohort study was conducted using Ontario Health Insurance Plan claims data and other administrative health care data from Apr. 1, 2019, to Sept. 30, 2020. Statistical analysis was conducted using multivariate regression, with procedure duration as the outcome variable.Results: Results showed that the average duration of nonelective procedures increased by 34 minutes during the COVID-19 period and by 19 minutes after the resumption of scheduled procedures. Controlling for physician, patient and hospital characteristics, and the procedure code submitted, procedure duration increased by 12 minutes in the nonelective COVID-19 period and by 5 minutes when scheduled procedures resumed, compared with the pre-COVID-19 period.Conclusion: Procedures may take longer in the COVID-19 period. This will affect wait times, which had already increased because of the deferral of procedures at the beginning of the pandemic, and will have an impact on Ontario’s ability to provide patients with timely care. ER -