Journal of the American College of Surgeons
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Investing in continued medical education strengthens surgical systems. This study assessed the effectiveness of an evidence-based practice (EBP) tutorial and access to UpToDate (UTD) to improve EBP and understand how and why providers practice using evidence. ⋯ Providing education on EBP, free UTD access, and translation solutions did not correlate with increased CKS due to complex barriers to using point-of-care medical information systems.
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Blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality after blunt trauma. Numerous screening strategies exist, although which is used is institution- and physician-dependent. We sought to identify the most cost-effective screening strategy for BCVI, hypothesizing that universal screening would be optimal among the screening strategies studied. ⋯ This model suggests universal screening may be the cost-effective strategy for BCVI screening in blunt trauma for certain trauma centers. Trauma centers should develop institutional protocols that take into account individual BCVI rates.
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In 2015, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) created a new hospital improvement program to enhance the performance of pediatric care in US hospitals. The Children's Surgery Verification (CSV) Quality Improvement Program is predicated on the idea that pediatric surgical patients have improved outcomes when treated at children's hospitals with optimal resources. Achieving ACS level I CSV designation at pediatric trauma centers may lead to greater benefits for pediatric trauma patients; however, the specific benefits have yet to be identified. We hypothesize that achieving the additional designation of ACS level I CSV is associated with decreased narcotic use perioperatively and improved efficiency when managing pediatric patients with femur fractures. ⋯ Achieving ACS level I CSV designation is associated with increased efficiency and decreased preoperative and postoperative narcotic use when treating pediatric trauma patients.