Development and evaluation of web-based software to efficiently run enhanced recovery surgery
This is an article analysis of "Development and evaluation of web-based software to efficiently run enhanced recovery surgery" from the electronic Journal of Health Informatics.
Article Summary
Background: "Enhanced Recovery Surgery" (ERS) are protocols that are put into place to improve patients recovery following surgery. ERS is very effective, but only when in place to assist clinician involved in the care. This article studied the needs of clinicians and developed a web-based program to facilitate use of ERS.
Methods: Initially the researchers formed a interprofessional committee that evaluated and select information that was required to be included in the software development. These pre-selected criteria were then developed into a web-based, SQL server database. Within the first phase of the software design development, the researchers used a qualitative study to evaluate the software based on opinions from clinicians, and during the subsequent phase statistically analyzed the differences in length of stay between pre- and post- software utilization
Results: In the first phase of the study, the researchers found that nursing staff and surgeons both felt that having the information displayed in a centralized place allowed for decreased documentation time and improved access to necessary information. It was also from the research fellows that the data was more complete and able to conduct analysis on. The more significant finding was that communication on all levels was improved which leads to increased patient safety. In the latter phase of the study, the researchers found that the average length of stay was decreased by 6 days
Conclusions: The researchers in this article concluded that use of this web-based ERS software produced more accurate data, that is able to be more efficiently analyzed, and that communication between interprofessional teams was enhanced. It was also concluded that use of this software system, when utilized with nursing assessment and judgement improved the overall perioperative success.
Article Review
Surgical patients often experience repetitive activities and questions, despite the information already being in the record. With systems and programs in place to record, validate and produce accurate and up to the minute information for the clinician, these patients are able to experience a more smooth and effective perioperative period during their hospital stay. By facilitating communication and accurate data collection with the systems described in this article, patient's hospital stay can be shortened and improved. More and more often institutions are being reimbursed and assessed based on their hospital length of stay, and patient satisfaction rates, and with proper utilization of these types of systems, the perioperative area of the hospital may improve in these areas. While in this article they state that there are no other software in use to assist in usage of the ERS programs, it is likely that other similar programs will be developed and tested.
References
Raptis, D. A., Vasas, P., Skipworth, J., Nakawungu, R., Oberkofler, C. E., Cohen, R., & Windsor, A. (2011). Creating Development and evaluation of web-based software to efficiently run enhanced recovery surgery. electronic Journal of Health Informatics, 6(2).
