Use Excel Copilot to Analyze OR Utilization Data

What This Does

Turns raw OR scheduling data from your EHR into actionable insights — which surgeons start late, which block times go unused, which procedure types run over — using plain-language questions instead of formulas.

Before You Start

• You have Microsoft 365 (Excel is included — check with your administrator)
• You have Excel open with Copilot enabled (look for the Copilot button in the Home ribbon)
• You have OR utilization data exported from your EHR (SIS, HST Pathways, or Amkai can export this as a CSV or Excel file)
• Time needed: 20 minutes
• Cost: Included in Microsoft 365 subscription ($10–23/month depending on plan)

Steps

1. Export your OR utilization data from your EHR

In your EHR (SIS, HST Pathways, etc.), find the scheduling or OR utilization reports section. Export the last 30 or 90 days of case data as an Excel or CSV file. Look for fields like: Date, Surgeon, Procedure, Scheduled Start Time, Actual Start Time, Scheduled Duration, Actual Duration, OR Room, Cancellation Flag.

What you should see: A spreadsheet with one row per case and columns for each data point.

2. Open the file in Excel and enable Copilot

Open the exported file in Microsoft Excel. Click the Copilot button in the Home ribbon (it looks like a small colorful icon). A Copilot sidebar opens on the right side.

Troubleshooting: If you don't see the Copilot button, your Microsoft 365 plan may not include it — check with your administrator, or ask them to verify that Copilot is enabled for your account.

3. Ask your first question

In the Copilot sidebar, type: "Which surgeons had the most first-case late starts last month? Show me a table sorted from most to fewest delays."

Copilot will analyze your data and return a table. It may also offer to insert it directly into your spreadsheet.

4. Find unused block time

Ask Copilot: "Which surgeons used less than 70% of their scheduled OR block time last month? Show me the total scheduled hours versus actual hours used."

What you should see: A table showing block time utilization by surgeon — this is your list of candidates for block time reductions or reallocations.

5. Identify procedure types that run over

Ask Copilot: "Which procedure types (by description or CPT code) ran over their scheduled time by more than 30 minutes on average? Rank them from most to least overrun."

6. Check cancellation patterns

Ask Copilot: "How many cases were cancelled last month? Break it down by cancellation reason if that column exists, and show which day of the week had the most cancellations."

Real Example

Scenario: Your administrator suspects OR 3 is underutilized on Fridays. You export the last 90 days of data.

What you type: "Show me average OR utilization by room and day of week for the last 90 days."

What you get: A table showing that OR 3 averages 52% utilization on Fridays vs. 88% on Tuesdays. You bring this data to the administrator — concrete numbers that support reassigning Friday OR 3 time to a different surgeon.

Tips

• Export 90 days of data rather than 30 for more reliable patterns — small centers can have high variability week-to-week
• Always check if your EHR distinguishes "patient cancellation" from "facility cancellation" from "surgeon cancellation" — those are very different problems
• Save your questions as a template so you can run the same analysis each month in under 5 minutes
• If Copilot can't find a column, describe what the column header looks like: "The start time is in column called 'Scheduled_Start' and actual time is 'In_Room_Time'"

Tool interfaces change — if the Copilot button has moved, look for AI features in the Home or Review ribbon.