Standardized pathway for feeding tube placement reduces unnecessary surgery and improves value of care.

Publication/Presentation Date

6-1-2020

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Children requiring gastrostomy tubes (GT) have high resource utilization. In addition, wide variation exists in the decision to perform concurrent fundoplication, which can increase the morbidity of enteral access surgery. We implemented a hospital-wide standardized pathway for GT placement.

METHODS: The standardized pathway included mandatory preoperative nasogastric feeding tube (FT) trial, identification of FT medical home, and standardized postoperative order set, including feeding regimen and parent education. An algorithm to determine whether concurrent fundoplication was indicated was also created. We identified children referred for GT placement from 2015 to 2018 and compared concurrent fundoplication rates and outcomes pre- and postimplementation.

RESULTS: We identified 332 patients who were referred for GT. Of these, 15 avoided placement. Concurrent fundoplication decreased postpathway (48% vs 22%, p <  0.0001). After adjusting for reflux and cardiac disease, prepathway patients were 3.5 times more likely to undergo concurrent fundoplication. ED visits (46% vs 27%, p = 0.001) and postoperative LOS (median (IQR) 10 days (5-36) to 5.5 days (1-19), p = 0.0002) decreased.

CONCLUSIONS: A standardized pathway for GT placement prevented unnecessary GT placement and fundoplication with reduction in postoperative LOS and ED visits. This approach can significantly reduce resource utilization while improving outcomes.

TYPE OF STUDY: Prognosis study.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II.

Volume

55

Issue

6

First Page

1013

Last Page

1022

ISSN

1531-5037

Disciplines

Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods

PubMedID

32169345

Department(s)

Administration and Leadership

Document Type

Article

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