"We must consider the whole patient and prevent all potential problems related to an operation," she explained. "The data are clear that the combination of bowel preparation plus oral antibiotics to kill bacteria is the best way to prevent SSIs in these operations."

Benefits of a Clinical Registry


Hospitals participating in the ISCR can track their compliance using the new clinical pathway through a registry supplied by the ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care. Participants also will enter their outcomes, such as length of stay and rate of readmission to the hospital, into this database and will receive benchmarking comparisons with other participants' performance.

"The registry," Dr. Wick said, "will help hospitals focus their quality improvement efforts where needed and motivate the surgical team with their successes."

Coauthor Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MS, MSHS, FACS, Director of the ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, said he expects the program, which includes change management techniques, to have a major impact.

"A fairly large number of hospitals will learn how to implement this multidisciplinary care program, which will improve patient care," Dr. Ko said. "Even if any hospitals have already tried enhanced recovery protocols, they will get better at it."

He added that the lessons learned from this project will allow the ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care to continue this work after the funding ends.

"We will be able to help participating hospitals implement and sustain use of enhanced recovery protocols, and to expand the program to as many hospitals as possible and to other surgical areas besides the initial five," Dr. Ko said.

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