Gaps in the Postoperative Conversation: A Comprehensive Review of Current Practices and the Unmet Needs of Surgeons, Families, and Waiting Room Personnel.

Perioperative communication between surgeons and caregivers is an important aspect of patient care, with postoperative conversations (POCs) being critical. Literature suggests current communication practices may be suboptimal. Identifying barriers and opportunities could improve patient and caregiver satisfaction and increase surgeon efficiency.

Timed Stair Climbing Is the Single Strongest Predictor of Perioperative Complications in Patients Undergoing Abdominal Surgery.

Background: Current methods to predict patients' perioperative morbidity use complex algorithms with multiple clinical variables focusing primarily on organ-specific compromise. The aim of the current study was to determine the value of a timed stair climb in predicting perioperative complications for patients undergoing abdominal surgery.

Study Design: From March 2014 to July 2015, three hundred and sixty-two patients attempted stair climbing while being timed before undergoing elective abdominal surgery.

A 100% departmental mortality review improves observed-to-expected mortality ratios and University HealthSystem Consortium rankings.

Background: Public reporting of mortality, Patient Safety Indicators (PSI) and hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) is the reality of quality measurement. A review of our department's data identified opportunities for improvement. We began a surgeon-led 100% review of mortality, PSIs, and HACs to improve patient care and surgeon awareness of these metrics.