Implementation and Effectiveness of an Enhanced Recovery Protocol for Children Undergoing Surgery

Can enhanced recovery protocols (ERPs) improve outcomes for pediatric patients undergoing elective gastrointestinal surgery?This stepped-wedge cluster-randomized trial of 597 pediatric patients found that multifaceted implementation strategies did not reduce overall length of stay. However, when accounting for higher implementation fidelity at the patient level, length of stay and complications were significantly reduced.This study’s findings highlight the importance of also assessing implementation outcomes when evaluating the clinical effectiveness of a multicomponent intervention.

Corresponding Author: Mehul V. Raval, MD, MS, MBA, Ann mraval@luriechildrens.org).

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