Michigan Medicine is helping to lower unnecessary pre-surgery testing

The University of Michigan is leading the way to lessen unnecessary pre-surgery testing in hospitals, according to an announcement.

Their strategy is published in a study in JAMA Network Open, and has led to the extension of the Right-Sizing Testing Before Elective Surgery (Rite-Size) program.

A team of researchers aimed to lower the percentage of the following tests in healthy patients receiving gallbladder removal, breast lump removal, or hernia surgery in three Michigan-based hospitals:

• Electrocardiography
• Transthoracic echocardiography
• Cardiac stress tests
• Chest X-rays
• Urinalysis
• Complete blood cell count
• Basic metabolic panel
• Comprehensive metabolic panel
• Coagulation studies
• Pulmonary function tests

The researchers developed personalized plans for each hospital and “offered education, coaching and supportive materials to the entire team involved in ordering and conducting pre-op testing.” Over six months, the strategy reduced unnecessary testing in these patients by nearly 28%. According to Michigan Medicine, “One of the hospitals achieved a near-zero wasteful testing rate for a while.”