A pre-operative teaching program for children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Surgery
• Ambulatory Care
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Children undergoing elective surgery require specialized pre-operative preparation.
• Traditional pre-operative processes in ambulatory settings can be fragmented.
• The need for a streamlined and integrated pre-operative approach for pediatric patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel pre-operative teaching program for pediatric patients.
• To enhance the pre-operative experience within a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) ambulatory setting.
• To consolidate pre-operative testing and consultations into a single pre-surgery appointment.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a dedicated pre-surgery appointment for pediatric patients.
• Scheduling this appointment one week prior to the elective surgical procedure.
• Integration of laboratory testing, pre-operative assessments, and physical examinations during this visit.

Main Results:

• The program establishes a structured pre-operative pathway.
• Consolidates necessary medical evaluations and tests.
• Aims to improve patient preparedness and streamline the pre-operative process.

Conclusions:

• The Fallon Clinic Pediatric Department has developed an innovative pre-operative program.
• This initiative optimizes pre-operative care in an ambulatory setting.
• The program facilitates comprehensive patient preparation before elective surgery.