A replicable colectomy surgical site infection prevention bundle: Implementation and electronic health record--enabled compliance monitoring

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infections (SSIs) after colectomy are a major source of morbidity, mortality, and cost. Despite evidence supporting prevention bundles, reliable implementation remains challenging. We describe the implementation of a colectomy SSI bundle guided by the Translating Research into Practice (TRIP) model, featuring novel electronic health record (EHR)-enabled compliance monitoring. METHODS: A pre/post quasi-experimental study compared baseline (n = 227) and post-implementation (n = 164) colectomies at a community teaching hospital. An Epic (Epic Systems Corporation, Verona, WI) EHR dashboard monitore compliance. The primary outcome was the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Standardized Infection Ratio (SIR). RESULTS: SSI rates decreased from 10.6% to 4.9% (relative risk 0.46, 95% CI: 0.21-0.99, P = .051). The SIR decreased from 2.04 to 0.895 (relative risk 0.44, 95% CI: 0.19-0.95, P = .037), indicating fewer SSIs than expected. Compliance was high across most elements. DISCUSSION: The TRIP model provided a replicable implementation framework. The EHR dashboard enabled actionable compliance monitoring without requiring capital investment. CONCLUSIONS: A colectomy SSI prevention bundle, guided by the TRIP model and supported by an EHR dashboard, achieved a statistically significant reduction in SIR and a clinically meaningful decrease in SSI rates.