The impact of automated screening with Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) on health-related quality of life, supportive care needs, and patient satisfaction with care in 268 ambulatory cancer patients.

Purpose: We aimed to assess the impact of implementing Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) screening on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and patient satisfaction with care (PSC) in ambulatory oncology patients. ESAS is now a standard of care in Ontario cancer centers, with the goal of improving symptom management in cancer patients, yet few studies examine impact of ESAS on patient outcomes.

Methods: We compared ambulatory oncology patients who were not screened prior to ESAS site implementation (2011-2012), to a similar group who were screened using ESAS after site implementation (2012-2013), to examine between-group differences in patient HRQoL, PSC outcomes, and supportive care needs (Supportive Care Service Survey).

Low-dose spinal bupivacaine for total knee arthroplasty facilitates recovery room discharge: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: Regional anesthesia is the preferred technique for total knee arthroplasty to provide a bridge for early postoperative analgesia, reduce opioid consumption, and improve mobility and rehabilitation. Multiple patient and process factors must be weighed when choosing the appropriate technique to reduce morbidity and facilitate discharge. We hypothesized that a low-dose of intrathecal bupivicaine combined with regional block would facilitate discharge from the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) and reduce postoperative morbidity.

Acquisition of technical skills in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia using a high-fidelity simulator.

Despite the increasing popularity of ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia (UGRA), structured training programs during residency are often lacking. The lack of a regional block area, lack of expertise, and lack of structured training programs have limited hands-on experience in residency programs. However, these constraints may be circumvented through the use of simulation.