The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery (ISCR) offers a comprehensive toolkit designed to revolutionize patient surgical experiences. By implementing enhanced recovery practices, hospitals can significantly improve patient outcomes and safety. This program, grounded in evidence-based methodologies, utilizes multidisciplinary teams to standardize and enhance perioperative care across the entire surgical journey. Leveraging the proven principles of AHRQ’s Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP), the ISCR toolkit empowers healthcare facilities to proactively minimize surgical complications, including surgical site infections, venous thromboembolism, and urinary tract infections, while simultaneously fostering a stronger culture of perioperative safety.
Who Should Utilize the ISCR Toolkit?
This invaluable resource is specifically tailored for perioperative staff, surgical quality improvement specialists, and hospital leaders who are committed to advancing surgical care. It is ideal for those seeking to understand and implement standardized perioperative practices grounded in enhanced recovery principles. As hospitals progress, they may establish multiple ISCR teams, each dedicated to specific clinical pathways such as colorectal or gynecologic surgery, allowing for specialized and targeted improvements.
Navigating the ISCR Toolkit for Optimal Implementation
The ISCR toolkit is thoughtfully structured into an overview and four distinct sections, providing a clear pathway for your hospital’s perioperative team. This structure facilitates the consistent adoption of evidence-based practices to enhance surgical patient recovery, all within the established CUSP framework. The overview serves as a concise roadmap, guiding teams through the program’s key components. Each subsequent section provides detailed guides and practical tools to support seamless implementation. Critically, all materials are publicly accessible, downloadable, and adaptable, allowing teams to tailor resources to meet specific local needs and criteria. For initial program rollout, a phased approach is recommended: begin by carefully defining the scope, followed by diligent implementation and impact measurement, and culminating in the establishment of sustainable enhanced recovery practices.
Inside the ISCR Toolkit: Resources for Standardization
Each section of the ISCR toolkit is packed with customizable resources that your hospital’s perioperative team can readily download and implement. These resources are specifically designed to standardize surgical techniques through the adoption of enhanced recovery practices. By utilizing these tools, hospitals can ensure consistent application of best practices, leading to improved patient outcomes and a more reliable surgical process.
Development and Evidence Base of the Toolkit
These evidence-based resources are the product of a robust 5-year national quality improvement collaborative. This collaborative brought together leading subject matter experts and diverse participating hospitals from across the nation. This rigorous development process ensures the toolkit reflects the latest research and practical insights in surgical care improvement.
For those seeking deeper insights into the project, comprehensive documentation is available. You can download the project’s final report (PDF, 16 MB) and associated appendixes (PDF, 5 MB) for detailed information.
