Joint Commission journal on quality and patient safety / Joint Commission Resources
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Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf · Oct 2015
Initiating an Enhanced Recovery Pathway Program: An Anesthesiology Department's Perspective.
Enhanced recovery pathways (ERPs) for surgical patients may reduce variation in care and improve perioperative outcomes. Mainstays of ERPs are standardized perioperative pathways. At The Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore), an integrated ERP was proposed to further reduce the surgical site infection rate and the longer-than-expected hospital length of stay in colorectal surgery patients. ⋯ Development of an ERP requires collaboration among surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses. Thoughtful, collaborative pathway development and implementation, with recognition of the strengths and weakness of the existing surgical health care delivery system, should lead to realization of early improvement in outcomes.