title: Reducing pre-operative length of stay for enterocutaneous fistula repair with a multi-disciplinary approach.
abstract: Pre-operative assessment of complex surgical patients can be a lengthy process, albeit essential to minimise complication rates. In a tertiary referral unit specialising in the surgical repair of entercutaneous fistulas, a baseline audit revealed an average in-patient length of stay of 30.1 days, mainly caused by poor co-ordination between specialities. After the introduction of a weekly multi-disciplinary team meeting and the formalisation of a patient pathway, this admission length was reduced to 5.7 days (p<0.01), resulting in significant savings to the department.
authors.affiliation: University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chamberlain
authors.affiliation: University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dwyer