The business case for investing in postoperative care programs

Research
Written By Guy Ludbrook

A recent study assessed the cost-effectiveness of early high-acuity postoperative care for medium-risk surgical patients using the Advanced Recovery Room Care (ARRC) model. The analysis, based on data from a single-centre prospective cohort study, employed a Markov model to simulate patient transitions between care settings.

Findings indicated that ARRC provided an additional 4.3 days at home within the first 90 days post-surgery and reduced overall hospital costs by $1,081 per patient. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed a 99.3% probability of increased days at home and a 77.4% probability that ARRC was dominant from the hospital's perspective, offering improved outcomes at lower costs compared to standard ward care.

Advanced Recovery Room Care (ARRC) at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

References

Leaman EE, Ludbrook GL. The Cost-Effectiveness of Early High-Acuity Postoperative Care for Medium-Risk Surgical Patients. Anesth Analg. 2024 Aug 1;139(2):323-331. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000006743. Epub 2023 Nov 27. PMID: 38009844.

Guy Ludbrook
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