Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger launched ProvenRecovery, a program designed to improve pain management and healing after surgery while also reducing opioid prescriptions, according to North Central PA.
Here are five things to know:
1. The health system plans to include 42 surgical procedures in the program, which could affect around 15,000 cases per year. The health system hopes to have the program implemented for around 100 surgical specialties through the end of next year.
2. The program focuses on nutrition during the pre-surgery consultation, giving patients a kit with care instructions as well as immunonutrition drinks. Then, during surgery, the patient receives pain management with little or no opioid use. After surgery, the care team focuses on mobility to enhance recovery.
3. The health system hopes the program will help patients leave the hospital sooner and reduce overall costs of care.
4. ProvenRecovery's pilot launched in June 2017 and drove an 18 percent reduction in opioid use across the organization. Neurosurgery and colorectal surgery patients had their hospital stays cut in half during the pilot, and the hospital reported $4,556 in savings per case for colorectal surgery based on earlier discharges.