Joanne Favuzza, DO1, Christine Tung2, Jennifer Poirier, PhD3, Marc Brand, MD1, Marc Singer, MD1, Bruce Orkin, MD1. 1Rush University Medical Center, Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery, 2Rush University Medical School, 3Rush University Medical Center, Department of General Surgery
INTRODUCTION: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs are known to provide significant clinical benefits for colorectal surgery patients. A critical component of our ERAS protocol has been the implementation of a structured patient education program. We hypothesize that our detailed patient education has contributed to overall patient satisfaction.
METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Consecutive patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery under our ERAS protocol were retrospectively contacted by telephone in August 2016. All postoperative surveys were conducted for patients who had surgeries between December 2014 and April 2016. The questionnaire aimed to quantify the patients’ perceptions of specific ERAS components, type of educational tool, and overall satisfaction. Patients were asked a combination of ten yes/no, two multiple choice, and two open-ended questions. Descriptive statistics and Fisher’s exact tests were calculated; p<0.05 was considered significant.
RESULTS: Two hundred seven patients who had undergone elective colorectal surgery with our ERAS protocol were contacted; 134 (61% female, 39% male) participated in the postoperative survey. Overall, most patients (113 of 134, or 84%) reported being “very much” satisfied with recovery after surgery. One hundred sixteen of 134 (87%) patients reported that their preoperative patient education helped relieve anxiety during the perioperative period. Patient responses to specific components of ERAS are detailed in Figure 1. Among the modes of patient education utilized, the most commonly cited modality was the face-to-face interaction with their surgeon (61%).
CONCLUSIONS: This study investigated the perceptions and education of patients enrolled in ERAS. Our ERAS protocols are not only clinically effective but have shown high patient satisfaction among participants. In addition, our preliminary data stresses the importance of surgeons having face-to-face discussions with their patients about ERAS. We plan to prospectively study the most effective modality for improving patient education and understanding of ERAS to further improve outcomes.
Presented at the SAGES 2017 Annual Meeting in Houston, TX.
Abstract ID: 79044
Program Number: P017
Presentation Session: Poster of Distinction (Non CME)
Presentation Type: PDIST