Electronic Care Coordination From the Preoperative Clinic

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety
• Surgical Care

Background:

• Fragmented perioperative care increases patient risks and handoff errors.
• The perioperative surgical home model aims to enhance quality and value-based care.
• Effective care coordination is crucial for optimizing surgical patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a preoperative assessment center on care coordination.
• To assess the role of triggered e-mails in facilitating clinical information exchange.
• To determine the effect on perioperative quality, safety, and value.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective evaluation of a preoperative assessment center.
• Analysis of e-mails sent to patient healthcare teams.
• Tracking of triggered communications and their impact on perioperative elements.

Main Results:

• During 100 clinic days, 8122 patients were evaluated, with 606 triggered e-mails.
• Communications potentially impacted 19 elements across the perioperative spectrum.
• Four surgical cases were canceled, and 42 were rescheduled due to coordinated care.

Conclusions:

• Preoperative assessment centers can effectively coordinate perioperative care.
• E-mail-initiated communication fosters essential information exchange among healthcare teams.
• This approach advances patient-centered, value-enhanced quality and safety in surgical settings.