ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by laying a foundation of standards that should be established by individual healthcare organizations. Healthcare is focused on the causes and prevention of medical errors in an attempt to improve patient outcomes and deliver safer, more reliable medical care. Protocols such as enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) and comprehensive unit-based safety program have been proven to improve patient outcomes and can be adapted to individual organizations. One tool that can be utilized to provide safer, more reliable medical care is ERAS. At its core, ERAS is a multimodal perioperative management pathway that expedites the recovery of surgical patients. Initially, ERAS was developed for colorectal surgery, but more recently has been expanded to other surgical subspecialties. The implementation of ERAS in healthcare systems requires the formation of a multidisciplinary team that should include surgery, anesthesia, nursing, and nutrition.
