Why the study?
Does increased preoperative clinical assessment by physicians compared to routine laboratory tests improve patient outcomes and reduce costs in patients undergoing simple surgical procedures?
Does increased preoperative clinical assessment by physicians compared to routine laboratory tests improve patient outcomes and reduce costs in patients undergoing simple surgical procedures?
Routine preoperative laboratory tests for simple surgeries should be replaced by increased clinical assessment by physicians to optimize outcomes and costs.
The conclusion of the elegant study by Schein et al.1 in this issue of the Journal seems obvious from their data: we should stop ordering routine preoperative laboratory tests for patients before cataract operations or other relatively simple surgical procedures. On the other hand, without changes to the system to increase preoperative clinical assessment by physicians, we may see poorer patient outcomes and higher long-term costs.The ultimate goals of preoperative medical assessment are to reduce the morbidity associated with surgery, to increase the quality and decrease the cost of perioperative care, and to restore the patient quickly to the . . .
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Michael F. Roizen (2000) studied this question.
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