The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists issued a call to action to the healthcare community to utilize opioid-sparing pain management techniques to prevent addiction.
Here's what you should know.
1. AANA specifically highlighted the benefits of an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery in an infographic.
2. ERAS is based on patient communication and opioid-sparing techniques to control pain. In ERAS approaches, certified registered nurse anesthetists play a critical role in helping patients manage pain.
3. Recent research shows ERAS provides on average savings between $880 and $5,560 per patient, while reducing length of stay by up to four days.
4. ERAS also helps reduce 30-day patient readmission rates and costs, and allows patients to return to normal activities more quickly.
AANA President Bruce Weiner, CRNA, said, "The American opioid crisis is one of the most pressing healthcare issues of our time, and more than ever the healthcare community needs to come together to modernize opioid-prescribing criteria and utilize more effective, evidence-based solutions to pain management practices, to help prevent opioid addiction."