Providing cost-benefit analysis for ERAS-related solutions
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery The implementation of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is based on the concept of organizing care around the patient, addressing medical condition needs to optimize readiness for surgery and reducing the likelihood of postoperative complications. Efficacy is measured by how well we perform according to these…
Patient, personnel, induction factors that affect OR start times
Editor's Note Though patient and personnel factors affect the order of case induction, induction time is most dependent on patient factors, this study finds. Of 15,823 cases analyzed, predictors of later patient induction included add-on case, ASA class 3 or more, neuraxial anesthesia, and CRNA staffing. In 11,093 (70.1%) cases,…
Data-use practices linked to successful implementation of ERPs
Editor's Note In this study, the most important data-use practice associated with successful implementation of enhanced recovery pathways (ERPs) was data feedback to frontline providers of process and outcome measures. Of 140 hospitals analyzed, 52% reported previous ERP implementation, with wide variations in data-use practices. Feedback of process and outcome…
Establishing quality standards for ERAS care elements
At Virginia Commonwealth University System (VCU Health) in Richmond, we are using quality standards to establish operational definitions for elements of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS). This article describes what those standards are and how they are implemented. Previous articles in this series appeared in the October 2019 and November…
Data-driven surgical scheduling system improves efficiency
Editor's Note Compared to the historical mean (HM) scheduling approach, the data-driven regression modeling (RM) method improves multiple measures of operative suite efficiency and personnel satisfaction without adversely affecting clinical outcomes, this study finds. The HM approach included case duration of the most recent 4 years, and the RM system…
Analysis of OR efficiency in ASCs vs hospital outpatient departments
Editor's Note Ambulatory surgery center (ASC) outpatient procedures were more efficiently performed than those performed at a hospital outpatient department (HOP) in this study. Of 220 procedures included in the study (114 ASC, 106 HOP): mean turnover time was 29.8 minutes for HOP vs 24.5 for ASC ancillary time was…
Use of medical scribes improves workflow of surgeons, residents in an outpatient setting
Editor's Note Incorporating medical scribes into surgical practices to reduce time surgeons spend on patient documentation and managing electronic health records increases the number of patients seen by surgeons and residents in outpatient clinics, finds this study presented October 29 at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2019 in…
Joint Commission: Deadline approaching for submission of CY 2019 eCQM data
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on October 29 announced that the deadline for onboarding to the Direct Data Submission (DDS) Platform for submission of CY 2019 electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) is December 20. Organizations that submitted CY 2018 eCQMs through the DDS Platform do not need to be onboarded…
12-hour call shifts improve patient outcomes, lower costs
Editor's Note An acute-care surgery model that caps surgeon call shifts at 12 hours instead of 24 hours for covering surgical emergencies has led to shorter hospital stays, lower infection rates, and lower overall costs for patients with acute appendicitis, finds this study presented October 30 at the American College…
The role of the OR in ERAS pathway implementation
The US has been on a journey for the last several years to reduce the cost of healthcare. In 2017, the percent of gross domestic product attributed to healthcare goods and services was at 17.9%. This is expected to reach as much as 19.4% by the year 2027.1 Factors contributing…
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