The effect of extended work shift on performance of Farabi Eye Hospital in Iran

For improving efficiency and coping existing problems such as increasing demands for services, Long-Day organizing (extended work shifts) was applied by administrators in Farabi Eye Hospital. In new organizing system, MDs were working two mornings and two afternoon shifts instead of four mornings. The following study evaluated the impact of mentioned organizing method. This cross sectional study designed as a descriptive-comparative research that using before-after comparison. Visited outpatients, surgical operations and hospital indices were compared during one year before and one year after applying Long- Day organizing. Although, account of outpatients’ surgical operations increased significantly but inpatients’ surgical operations and total operations (sum of the outpatient and inpatient operations) didn’t show significant changes. Outpatient clinics showed a significant efficiency increasing. The quality of services did not have significant changes based on hospital indices during studied periods of time. Outpatient clinics’ efficiency rose after applying Long-Day organizing as well as outpatient surgeries. It seems that Long- Day organizing method may be effective in outpatient clinics and operation theaters, however, more studies with more interventional methods are considered necessary.