What is the T-point system?

• A. A method of assessing variation in average time length of surgical procedures compared with the databases of NHSN
• B. A method of calibrating hospital equipment
• C. A tool for tracking antibiotic use
• D. A measure of patient satisfaction

Answer: (A)

This item tests benchmarking how long surgeries take against a national reference. The T-point system collects procedure durations and compares a hospital’s average times to NHSN databases, signaling when a team's actual times diverge from expected ranges. This helps identify inefficiencies or workflow issues that can be targeted for improvement, rather than focusing on equipment calibration, antibiotic use, or how satisfied patients are. For example, if a common procedure consistently runs longer than the NHSN reference, the team would investigate OR scheduling, staffing, or steps in the workflow to pinpoint where delays occur and address them.