Innovative Educational Programs Help Patients Heal Faster After Surgery

IOWA CITY, Iowa - May 3, 2016 - PRLog -- A new patient engagement program that can help shorten hospital stays, reduce pain, and prevent complications after surgery has been launched by the Patient Education Institute (PEI). The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program includes evidence-based nutrition and activity recommendations that can be given to patients in clinical settings or accessed at home. PEI's program has been reviewed by practicing physicians and is the first of its kind in the world.

The ERAS program is available in several educational formats, including interactive videos and print handouts. The content can be presented clinically on tablets, laptops, bedside TVs, or on a health system's website. Patients can also view the program on their personal devices, including their mobile phones. The content can be presented before, during, and after surgery, as well as after discharge.

"ERAS engages the patient much more in their care [than traditional methods]," said Elizabeth Wick, associate professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins International Surgery Services. Wick adds that ERAS has resulted in a paradigm shift for surgeons and patient educators.

The benefits of ERAS practices have been researched and implemented in European and Canadian clinical settings for more than a decade (http://www.erassociety.org/index.php/about-us/history). Recent studies conducted in the U.S. have shown that ERAS practices can help shorten the length of hospital stays by 50 to 60% (http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/publications/johns_hopkins_surgery/johns_hopkins_surgery_summer_2014/a_quicker_recovery_after_colorectal_surgery_the_eras_pathway). Patients who follow ERAS recommendations report less pain and are able to eat and resume their normal activities sooner after surgery.

PEI is the publisher of X-Plain, a suite of educational programs that span more than 30 medical specialties at different points of care. X-Plain simplifies medical information so that patients of any health literacy level are able to understand it, make informed decisions, and feel comfortable communicating with their healthcare providers.

X-Plain has been trusted by doctors and used by millions of patients worldwide for more than 20 years. Learn more about the new ERAS program online: http://solutions.x-plain.com/eras.html.