The Gilbreth Contribution to Operating Room Management and Surgical Ergonomics

Abstract

Background: The early 20th century saw pioneering work by Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, regarded as the founders of surgical ergonomics, which brought scientific management in surgery and operating rooms. Through time and motion studies, their research helped improve the operative workflow and surgical efficiency. Methods: To document the historical work of Gilbreths in surgical ergonomics, we conducted primary archival research at the Purdue University Archives and Special Collections (West Lafayette, IN), and integrated a collection of secondary sources across various formats and modalities. Results and Conclusion: We describes the early works of Gilbreths in surgical ergonomics and highlight how their motion research in the operating room evolved to incorporate ergonomics and decrease operative fatigue. The Gilbreths were proponents of promoting the adoption of management practices for operating rooms and standardization in hospital design, equipment, and patient records to improve efficiency in health care delivery. Through analysis of their published and unpublished work, we describe how their ideas are still in widespread use today to eliminate unnecessary motions and foster ergonomics in the operating room and in the field of surgery in general.