fasting for 12 hours."
He says that after the hospital's
leadership began focusing on
improving the experience of col-
orectal surgery, they turned to
studies showing that consuming
carbohydrate drinks before sur-
gery helps the body return to its
normal physiology sooner, and got
the staff on board to try it.
Patients undergoing colorectal
surgery now are given a pair of
12 oz. bottles of the drink when
they come in for their pre-op
visit. They are told to drink a bot-
tle at night before they fall
asleep, and the second one 2
hours before surgery. Dr. Carlson
says the feedback so far has been
great.
"Not being able to drink any-
thing, that was a big complaint,"
he says. "This helps with appetite
suppression and makes them feel
more like themselves."
4
At-home skin prep
While studies show pre-op
bathing or showering with
an antiseptic soap before surgery
3 8 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E January 2015
F
acilities are increasing-
ly using mobile tech-
nology to give patients'
loved ones and family members
updated information throughout
procedures.
The Greenwich (Conn.)
Hospital recently began a
texting program that lets patients designate loved ones before sur-
gery to receive text-message updates when they undergo surgery.
The one-way and HIPAA-compliant messages are part of a system
called FamilyTouch (familytouch.com).
Hospital officials say that the service reduces stress on patients
going into surgery and their loved ones who are anxiously waiting
for news. Plus, it decreases the time staff spend fielding telephone
calls or inquiries from concerned friends and family.
"Studies have proven that clear and open communication
between patients, caregivers and family members plays an impor-
tant role in an outstanding patient experience," says Christine
Beechner, RN, vice president of patient and guest relations at
Greenwich. "Receiving timely updates on a patient's surgery status
is immensely reassuring to loved ones, whether they're in the wait-
ing room or across the country."
— Kendal Gapinski
TExTInG PaTIEnTS
Send Updates to Loved
Ones During Surgery
