Implementing enhanced recovery after surgery programmes in a healthcare facility: issues and economic impacts

For many specialties and operating techniques, enhanced recovery after surgery provides greater economic benefit if it is deployed across a whole healthcare institution rather than in just one or two departments. As with all innovations in the world of hospital care, the adoption of new procedures is a slow process because it is based on a consensual approach. To promote the dissemination and uptake of new practices at the local, national or institutional level, incentives must be developed and examples must be given. Successful deployment within a healthcare institution requires strategic adaptations in three areas: (i) the management of human resources dedicated to the patient pathway, (ii) a care unit architecture that facilitates working practices and patient management, and (iii) the use of digital tools and smart objects. Hospital decision-makers need to have a clear understanding of what is at stake, so that they can implement coordinated actions and encourage adoption. The investment required is hard to define because it results from a combination of skills and knowledge. At the institutional level, the return on investment is greater when the strategy is applied to all surgical specialties at once, since the structure can provide more care with fewer beds and fewer care units while maintaining the quality of patient management.