Emergency General Surgery Process Improvement Review

Abstract

Purpose of Review: In this work, we aim to highlight original research publications within the past 5 years that address performance improvement (PI) for emergency general surgery (EGS). Recent Findings: In 2022, the AAST and the American College of Surgeons launched the EGS verification program and the EGS standards manual—Optimal Resources for Emergency General Surgery. The key elements of EGS PI include: a data registry, personnel, clinical practice guidelines, PI events, and a peer review process. Summary: While EGS represents a substantial burden of hospitalization and spending, public funding does not match other surgical subspecialties. For effective PI, EGS programs will need a combination of funding for support personnel and EMR-based registry solutions which accurately capture all patients cared for by EGS teams, operatively and non-operatively. This must be reproducible in all hospitals who care for patients with EGS-related diagnoses, not just tertiary care facilities.