Michigan Medicine is helping to lower unnecessary pre-surgery testing
The University of Michigan is leading the way to lessen unnecessary pre-surgery testing in hospitals, according to an announcement.
Their strategy is published in a study in JAMA Network Open, and has led to the extension of the Right-Sizing Testing Before Elective Surgery (Rite-Size) program.
A team of researchers aimed to lower the percentage of the following tests in healthy patients receiving gallbladder removal, breast lump removal, or hernia surgery in three Michigan-based hospitals:
- Electrocardiography
- Transthoracic echocardiography
- Cardiac stress tests
- Chest X-rays
- Urinalysis
- Complete blood cell count
- Basic metabolic panel
- Comprehensive metabolic panel
- Coagulation studies
- Pulmonary function tests
The researchers developed personalized plans for each hospital and “offered education, coaching and supportive materials to the entire team involved in ordering and conducting pre-op testing.” Over six months, the strategy reduced unnecessary testing in these patients by nearly 28%. According to Michigan Medicine, “One of the hospitals achieved a near-zero wasteful testing rate for a while.”
