A surgical recovery program implemented by Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare has so far shown a reduction in length of hospital stays by two days and a 44 percent decrease in opioid usage.
The initiative, known as the Enhanced Surgical Recovery program, is designed after a program in Europe and aims to take a multidisciplinary approach through therapies, patient education, pain management and more to improve patient outcomes post-surgery, according to a Feb. 15 press release.
Results from HCA Healthcare's research of 141,482 surgeries has so far "shown to be a proven roadmap to help improve surgical results," the organization wrote.
Other notable findings from patient outcomes after ESR-focused treatment include:
- More than 2 million fewer morphine medications dispensed.
- A 54 percent decrease in readmissions after 30 days post-joint replacements.
- A 45 percent decrease in readmissions after 90 days post-gynecological surgery.