A UVA Health System study found that a new approach to caring for colorectal surgery patients led to faster recovery times while reducing complications, improving patient satisfaction and lowering medical costs.
Recently published online in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, the study examined a standardized, multidisciplinary approach at UVA to caring for colorectal surgery patients before, during and after their procedure.
After implementing the new approach, the study found the length of hospital stay decreased by 2.2 days, overall complication rate decreased 17 percent and patient satisfaction scores with pain control increased 55 percent while reducing healthcare costs by as much as $7,129 per patient.
The surgery team is now looking to implement similar approaches for other groups of surgical patients at UVA. More information on the study is available from the Journal of the American College of Surgeons .
