Chappell. In that vein, you have some good cost-saving facts on your
side, such as the benefits of quicker wound healing, reductions in
SSIs, fewer readmissions and shorter stays.
"When you first look at enhanced recovery, it looks like it's more
expensive to provide that care," says Ms. Reede. "But the truth is that
it decreases length of stay and complications, and increases patient
satisfaction, which contributes mightily to the bottom line of your
facility."
Progress reports
Ms. Reede stresses the need to continually monitor your enhanced
recovery process, including the impact pre-op nutrition makes on
it, in order to make improvements. A big component of that is data
analysis. "Once you
have your program
implemented, make
sure you have solid
metrics and outcome
measures in place,"
she says. "Then you
can really make
changes that are valu-
able and informed."
Track surgical out-
comes and how many
patients are compliant
with pre-op nutrition
directives. Also
observe how well your
staff is implementing
J U L Y 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 3 1
