Impact of including regional anaesthesia in enhanced recovery protocols: a scoping review

Regional anaesthesia (RA) is often included in enhanced recovery protocols (ERPs) as an important component of a bundle of interventions to improve outcomes after surgery. We sought to delineate whether the literature supports the use of RA in this setting with regard to commonly measured outcomes. We further sought to assess whether such improvements would translate into positive impacts on healthcare value as defined by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Triple Aim. We conducted a scoping review to address our objectives. Studies of ERPs that included RA and reported at least one outcome of interest in comparison to a control group were included. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CDSR, PROSPERO, and the NHS Economic Evaluation Database were searched up to May 2015. Two reviewers assessed studies and extracted data. Of 695 identified citations, 58 studies were included for analysis. The majority (53%) were in colorectal surgery. Positive impacts of RA on all outcomes were identified; however, value-based outcomes were rarely reported. Where value-based outcomes were reported, RA appears to have a positive impact on global measures of health and function and on economic outcomes. Existing literature supports a positive impact of RA on ERP outcomes, which may be reflected in improved healthcare value. In order to justify the value of RA in ERPs, a future focus on appropriate measures is needed to align research with widely accepted frameworks, such as the Triple Aim.