Implementing the enhanced perioperative care program at a spine surgery referral center reduced costs and hospital length of stay, according to a study in Spine.
Five things to know:
1. The researchers compared 183 subjects in traditional care to 267 intervention period patients at an academic quaternary referral center. They also examined 108 patients in a no pathway care group.
2. Patients in the traditional care group had an average hospital length of stay of 8.2 days compared to 6.1 days in the intervention group.
3. Traditional care group patients had an average intensive care unit length of stay of 3.1 days compared to 1.9 days for the intervention group.
4. The study authors observed no difference in postoperative complications and 30-day hospital readmissions between groups.
5. The enhanced perioperative care spine program led to a significant average cost reduction from $62,429 to $53,355.