ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT) is one of the more common procedures performed by urologists. It is often described as an 'incision-free' and 'well-tolerated' operation. However, many patients experience distress and discomfort with the procedure. Substantial opportunity exists to improve the TURBT experience. An enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol designed by patients with bladder cancer and their providers has been developed. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a single-centre, randomised controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness of an ERAS protocol compared with usual care in patients with bladder cancer undergoing ambulatory TURBT. The ERAS protocol is composed of preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative components designed to optimise each phase of perioperative care. 100 patients with suspected or known bladder cancer aged ≥18 years undergoing initial or repeat ambulatory TURBT will be enrolled. The change in Quality of Recovery 15 score, a measure of the quality of recovery, between the day of surgery and postoperative day 1 will be compared between the ERAS and control groups. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The trial has been approved by the Johns Hopkins Institutional Review Board #00392063. Participants will provide informed consent to participate before taking part in the study. Results will be reported in a separate publication. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05905276.
Subject(s)
Urinary Bladder Neoplasms , Humans , Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/surgery , Ambulatory Surgical Procedures/methods , Enhanced Recovery After Surgery , Cystectomy/methods , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Female , Male , Perioperative Care/methodsABSTRACT
The cost of surgical care accounts for almost one-third of all health care spending in the United States. Within health care spending, the operating room (OR) is one of the largest health care costs during a perioperative episode of care. Efficiency in the OR has been associated with increased productivity, safety, and quality of care. However, multiple sources of delays can contribute to inefficiency, and improving efficiency in the OR requires a systematic approach to identify and address each issue. We report on the case of a process improvement initiative implemented in a large academic institution to improve OR efficiency in outpatient orthopaedic cases, and we discuss the lessons learned through this program. Optimizing workflow in the OR requires a multidisciplinary team approach consisting of clinician leaders with common goals and open discussion regarding the needs of each team member, including circulating nurses, surgical nurses/technologists, and anesthesiologists. Our experience highlights the importance of practical, clinician-driven changes that are supported by administrative engagement, resources for staffing and equipment, and institutional flexibility, which are required to implement systemic changes to address and improve efficiency in the OR.
