Standardising fast-track surgical nursing care in Denmark.

Considerable variations in procedures, hospital stay and rates of recovery have been recorded within specific surgical procedures at Danish hospitals. The aim of this paper is to report on a national initiative in Denmark to improve the quality of surgical care by implementation of clinical guidelines based on the principles of fast-track surgery-i.e.

Room for improvement in the treatment of hip fractures in Denmark.

Introduction: Treatment of hip fractures has evolved since the introduction of fast-track surgical programs in the late 1990s. The aim of our study was to describe the quality of treatment and care related to fast-track hip fracture surgery in Denmark by external audit of patient records.

Material And Methods: This was a national multicenter audit of hospital charts from each hospital treating ≥ 50 hip fracture patients per year (n = 594).

What determines length of stay after total hip and knee arthroplasty? A nationwide study in Denmark.

Introduction: The goal of this study was (1) to identify logistical and clinical areas of importance for length of stay (LOS) by identifying departments with short and long LOS and to evaluate their set-up; and (2) to evaluate patient satisfaction in relation to LOS.

Materials And Methods: Based on the National Register on Patients in 2004 on LOS following total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA and TKA), departments with short and long LOS were identified. The three departments with the shortest and the three departments with the longest postoperative hospital stay were chosen for evaluation.

[Surgical care guidelines].

Introduction: Evidence-based guidelines for perioperative care facilitate the recovery process and decrease morbidity and hospital stay. The aim of this study was to evaluate the availability and content of guidelines for perioperative care in all departments performing colonic resection, nephrectomy, ovarian cancer surgery, pulmonary resection and total knee replacement.

Materials And Methods: Based upon nationwide workshops and agreement on clinical guidelines for perioperative care a questionnaire was sent to all surgical departments which perform the five procedures.

[Accelerated versus conventional hospital stay in total hip and knee arthroplasty III: patient satisfaction].

Introduction: The goal of this study was to evaluate patient satisfaction with the hospital stay in relation to the length of stay for patients operated on with primary total hip- and knee-arthroplasty (THA and TKA).

Materials And Methods: According to the National Register on Patients, the three departments with the shortest and the three departments with the longest postoperative hospital stay at the end of 2003 were chosen for evaluation. The patients, operated on with THA or TKA from September 2004 to April 2005, from the selected departments answered a questionnaire regarding satisfaction with elected parts of their stay, co-morbidity, sex and age.

[Accelerated versus conventional hospital stay in total hip and knee arthroplasty II: organizational and clinical differences].

Introduction: The goal of this study was to evaluate hospital stays for patients operated on with primary total hip- and knee-arthroplasty (THA and TKA) in order to identify important logistical and clinical areas for the duration of the hospital stay.

Materials And Methods: According to the National Register on Patients, the three departments with the shortest and the three departments with the longest postoperative hospital stay at the end of 2003 were chosen for evaluation. This took place from late 2004 to mid 2005, and all written material and 25 journals from each department were evaluated, and interviews with the heads of the departments as well as the staff were conducted.

[Length of stay in total hip and knee arthroplasty in Danmark I: volume, morbidity, mortality and resource utilization. A national survey in orthopaedic departments in Denmark].

Introduction: The goal of this study was to evaluate hospital stays for patients operated on with primary total hip- and knee-arthroplasty (THA and TKA) in Denmark in order to focus on the relationship between duration of hospital stay, surgical volume, morbidity and mortality and resources.

Materials And Methods: According to the National Register on Patients in 2004 concerning postoperative length of hospital stay, readmissions (30 days) and mortality (30 and 90 days), departments with short and long hospital stay were compared and potential economical savings were estimated if all departments reduced their stays to match the departments with the shortest hospital stay.

Results: Postoperative hospital stay varied between departments from 4.

[Length of stay after primary total hip and knee arthroplasty in Denmark, 2001-2003].

Introduction: We studied length of stay (LOS) after operation with total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in Denmark from 2001 to 2003 to determine whether experiences from published accelerated tracks had been implemented in Denmark, resulting in reduced LOS.

Materials And Methods: Through the National Patient Registry (Landspatientregistret) we obtained information on numbers, sex, age and LOS for each year during the period 2001-2003, inclusive.

Results: In 2003 the male-female sex ratios for THA and TKA were 1:1.