Operating Room Wait Time Estimator

1. Define the queue
Enter cases ahead that compete for the same room pool. Exclude cases assigned to unrelated blocks or resources.

2. Enter parallel rooms
Use rooms that can genuinely process the modeled cases during the relevant period.

3. Set average room time
Use average occupied room minutes per case on the same basis as the room pool.

4. Add known fixed delay
Include a separate delay if the room queue cannot start moving immediately.

5. Treat the result as a scenario
Priority changes, variable case lengths, turnovers, cancellations, and staffing constraints can move actual start times substantially.

Processing rate = Parallel rooms × 60 ÷ Average room minutes per case Queue wait = Cases ahead ÷ Processing rate × 60 Estimated wait = Queue wait + Fixed delay

What the result means

The result estimates the time needed for the simplified room-capacity queue to clear to the modeled case.

This model assumes identical average case times and continuous room availability. It does not reproduce real surgical block scheduling or clinical prioritization.

Given:
6 cases ahead; 3 rooms; 125 average room-minutes per case; 20-minute fixed delay.

Calculation:
Processing rate = 3 × 60 ÷ 125 = 1.44 cases/hour. Queue component = 6 ÷ 1.44 × 60 = 250 minutes. Total = 250 + 20 = 270 minutes.

Result:
Approximately 270 minutes, or 4.5 hours.

Interpretation:
Under steady average processing, the six-case backlog would represent about 250 minutes of queue time plus the separate 20-minute delay.