Efficacy Side-effect Score (ESS): Development and Evaluation of a New Tool for Patients After Surgery

Safety and Quality for Inpatients After Surgery at the Ward. Development and Evaluation of a New Tool: Efficacy Side-effect Score (ESS)

We hypothesized that better control of postoperative pain treatment and its side effects by monitoring ESS might influence the degree of mobility and morbidity in surgical patients and consequently reduce LOS. Thus, our aim was to validate the influence of recording ESS and the application of a "call-out algorithm" on LOS in two university hospitals in which the routine policy of registration of pain had not been adopted yet.

Using clinical experience and consensus-methodology the investigators picked up and digitalized information about mental, postoperative nausea, vomiting and pain status at the rest and during mobilization in so called Efficacy Safety Score (ESS). Depending on expression of patient's complaints, all mentioned above clinical features are scored. We hypothesized that better control of postoperative pain treatment and its side effects by monitoring ESS might influence the degree of mobility and morbidity in surgical patients and consequently reduce length of hospital stay (LOS). Thus, our aim was to validate the influence of recording ESS and the application of a "call-out algorithm" on LOS in two university hospitals in which the routine policy of registration of pain had not been adopted yet. The primary endpoint of the study was to assess LOS in groups of patients with different types of clinical data records and "call-out algorithms," while secondary endpoints were to compare the degree of mobilization, number of postoperative nonsurgical complications, and 28-day survival between the groups.and summarized in the total score.

Inclusion Criteria:

• All adult postoperative patients that are inpatients, and scheduled for hospitalization for more than 8 hours

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children, mental illness, communication difficulties