The Effectiveness of a Criteria-Led Discharge Initiative on the Length of Stay of Patients Who Underwent a Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy

ObjectivesTo determine the impact of a criteria-led discharge initiative (CLD) on the hospital length of stay of patients undergoing a robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP).MethodsThis is a cohort study of prospectively collected data completed at a major tertiary hospital from December 2017 to August 2020. The CLD initiative consists of 4 criteria: clinical haemodynamic stability (heart rate < 100 beats/minute, systolic blood pressure > 100mmHg), a drain output of less than 50 mL, flatulence or bowel movement, and the ability to tolerate an oral diet. The primary outcome was hospital length of stay for patients before and after the introduction of CLD.ResultsOne hundred men undergoing RALP before the implementation of the CLD initiative were compared to 118 men undergoing RALP following the implementation of CLD. The patients had similar baseline demographic features. There was a significant difference found in hospital LOS with the pre-CLD group LOS (mean = 1.8 days, SE = 0.12) being longer than the LOS in the post-CLD group (mean = 1.4 days, SE = 0.09, P = 0.015). There were no significant between-group differences in the proportion of patients discharged on the first postoperative day and the 30-day readmission rate.ConclusionWithin our study population, we have demonstrated that the introduction of CLD was associated with reduced hospital LOS with no increase in adverse events. These findings support the need for the development of CLD in other conditions.