The Impact of the Comprehensive Unit-Based Safety Program on the Perioperative Efficiency and Patient Safety of Adult Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Procedures: Retrospective Comparative Study

Background The complexity of healthcare delivery systems presents a unique challenge for the perioperative space. In the area of arthroplasty procedures, the shift of complex patients into ambulatory surgery centers and reimbursement that is no longer commensurate with the inflated costs of performing these procedures have created difficulties for hospitals and physicians alike. Thus, there is a critical need to optimize perioperative workflows while maintaining high-quality care provision. Methods Our institution implemented the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) to improve the quality and efficiency of total knee and hip arthroplasties (TKAs and THAs). This initiative involved extensive collaboration with clinical and administrative teams, as well as five intervention-driven workgroups. First-case on-time start (FCOTS) rates and duration of first-case delays, case length, anesthesia preparation, in-room patient preparation, operation, patient exit, and room turnover after CUSP implementation were analyzed using Independent Samples Median Testing, Mann-Whitney U Testing, and a percentage-point difference calculation. Results After CUSP arthroplasty implementation, FCOTS rates increased from 43 to 81%. Statistically significant decreases were observed in median times for first-case delays, case length, in-room patient preparation, operation, patient exit, and room turnover for TKAs and THAs, but not anesthesia preparation. Conclusion The implementation of CUSP arthroplasty for TKAs and THAs resulted in significant improvements in nearly all efficiency metrics, as well as preventions of patient safety missteps. These results exemplify the versatility of CUSP as a quality improvement method that can maintain patient safety and perioperative efficiency in the arthroplasty service of a large-scale medical center.