It's not uncommon for patients to avoid physician visits, hospitals and life-enhancing surgeries because they feel confused or overwhelmed. To ease patients' concerns, Royal Oak, Mich.-based Beaumont Health System established a program to empower patients — a program which has proven successful.
The program, called Surgical Testing and Teaching for an Accelerated Recovery or the STARR Clinic, involves educating patients about the measures they should take to prepare for surgery and what they should expect throughout the perioperative process, including recovery.
"Being in charge of your own recovery is empowering," said Daniel Silvasi, MD, medical director of the operating room and champion of the STTAR Clinic at Beaumont Hospital-Troy (Mich.).
According to a recent hospital announcement, since launching in June 2015, STARR Clinic patients have experienced:
- Reduced length of stay
- Lower infection incidence
- Fewer visit to the emergency department
- Reduced healthcare costs
STTAR Clinic programming is currently available for colorectal and cystectomy patients, and Beaumont has plans to expand the program to orthopedics patients as well.
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