Examining Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol Compliance

Background: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs began in health institutions to improve patient outcomes and decrease hospital length of stay. ERAS protocols have shown to decrease hospital associated costs as well as reducing opioid consumption.

Purpose: This project aimed to determine how overall compliance to ERAS protocol, as well as how compliance to individual components of the ERAS protocol, affected hospital length of stay (LOS). In addition, the relationship between compliance and opioid consumption was assessed.

Methods: This quality improvement project consisted of a retrospective chart review of 100 patients undergoing colorectal surgery, boarded as ERAS.

Results: Key results found that as compliance to ERAS protocol increased, hospital LOS decreased. Additionally, statistically significant difference was noted in LOS between the levels of Foley catheter discontinuation (p < .001) as well as mobilization by postoperative day (POD) 1 (p = .014).

Conclusion: When opioid consumption was investigated, it was shown that as opioid consumption increased, hospital LOS increased. This project helped demonstrate that ERAS protocol compliance as well as limiting opioid consumption in the perioperative period leads to a decrease in hospital LOS.