Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) workshop: effect on attitudes of the perioperative care team

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) or 'fast track' surgery is heavily based on a multidisciplinary focused perioperative care model with all players being equally important for successful implementation. Several institutions run an ERAS course but few data are available on their effect on attitudes and perceptions to perioperative care principles.

A ten item survey was designed for perioperative care clinicians attending an annual ERAS workshop. The survey was administered one week before and three weeks after the workshop.

Seventy seven eligible participants were identified. Forty four (57%) responded to the questionnaire prior to the course. On repeat administration of the survey three weeks after the course there were 28 (36%) responses. The results of the survey indicate that the majority of perioperative care staff were already aware of the evidence behind some of the principles applied in colectomy, with a high pre-course level of understanding shown. However the course significantly changed opinion regarding some other aspects of care to align opinion with evidence amongst the responders.

There appears to be a high rate of evidence agreement with some interventions but not others amongst perioperative staff. Attending a multidisciplinary ERAS workshop seems to align opinion with evidence.