Perioperative Medicine and Management (PoMM) – a new SSAI program will be launched 2014

Managing the perioperative process and implementing evidence in perioperative medicine is a great challenge. The Scandinavian countries provide high standard care with low mortality rates after surgery ¹. However, as patients get more complex, older with increasing numbers of co-morbidities and resources becomes more critical, we need to mobilize our knowledge to be able to manage this resource-intensive process and meet the needs of our patients of the future. How do we reach this goal? In 2008 Marjamaa and co-workers suggested that successful operating room management required a sound organizational structure, good leadership, as well as interdisciplinary collaboration ². We, the steering committee for PoMM, firmly believe that a Scandinavian collaboration between anesthesiologists with a special interest in perioperative medicine and operating room management can be essential to increase quality in the perioperative process and also to increase cost-effectiveness. Moreover, we believe that progress in finding the answer in the ongoing discussion on how to actually measure perioperative quality ³ can be made through collaboration.

Aim

To further embrace these questions the SSAI have supported the process of developing a program in “Perioperative Medicine and Management” (PoMM) that will be launched in November 2014.The program will focus on:

• The medical part of management. How leading the operating room can improve quality, productivity and cost effectiveness.
• Evidence based perioperative medicine. How increased knowledge and implementation can improve patient safety and outcome through the pre-, intra- and postoperative period.

After fulfilling the program the participant qualifies as “Director of Perioperative Medicine and Management” whose responsibilities can include:

• Evaluating relevant evidence in perioperative medicine
• Analyzing flows and processes of the perioperative period
• Leading the intraoperative team
• Managing of the perioperative process, including implementing changes
• Measuring and evaluating quality and outcome

The aim of the program is to provide anesthesiologists that are especially interested in perioperative medicine and management and involved in the planning and administration of the perioperative process as directors or as administrators on a lower level, with new ideas of how to run and develop their organization and the tools to get there. The program will focus on certain areas within “perioperative medicine”, however knowledge in more basic and very detailed medicine will not be included as participants are already specialists and there are other programs available within SSAI that aim for advanced knowledge in specialized anesthesia. The main emphasis will be on methods of how to organize perioperative care to improve patient safety and satisfaction while utilizing resources in the most economical manner. The program will not cover general management issues mostly relevant for heads of departments, such courses are available elsewhere.

The program will also create a Scandinavian network in perioperative medicine and management that will promote not only collaboration between participants but strengthen the position of perioperative care in the Scandinavian countries.

Program content

The program will be dived into sections regarding:

• Preoperative evaluation, preparation and optimization
• Intraoperative, immediate preparation for and care during surgery
• Postoperative, immediate and longer term postoperative care and follow up

However, the purpose is to interweave these stages to create a continuous and coordinated chain of patient care.

The program runs for 2 years. Since the program aims to move the participants forward in personal leadership as well as in skills in management, a personal commitment and enthusiasm is required to succeed and to make the program as useful as possible.

The minimum total time away from clinical work will be ten weeks. Five weeks will be set off for assignments such as A) a literature review in perioperative medicine, B) a patient flow analysis, C) a project in perioperative management implementing and measuring change and D) clinical auscultations and visits and five for week-long courses in the five Scandinavian countries. The program fee is similar compared to other SSAI programs (10 000 EUR over 2 years) not including travel and accomodation costs during the course weeks. Please note that the literature review, patient flow analysis and management project will be performed at the home clinic improving everyday work and that total time away is only five-six weeks total.

Application procedure

The first course will start Monday 3^rd November 2014. Information on the application process will be available March 1^st 2014 on the SSAI website. The deadline to submit applications is May 1^st and decisions of admittance will be available June 1^st 2014.

Application should include 1) an idea of a topic and a  title for the Literature Review in Perioperative Medicine and an academic supervisor 2) a selected perioperative flow of patients at the home clinic to investigate throughout the PoMM-program for the “Patient Flow Analysis”, 3) a suggestion for a “Project in Perioperative Management”, including title, project plan, time schedule and project supervisor. The project should be focused on implementation of change in processes at the home clinic. The project should include measurement of outcome (mandatory). Preferably participants should choose these three assignments because they are relevant to their everyday work. Furthermore, the literature review (A), the patient flow analysis (B) and the project in perioperative management (C) should be somewhat related to each other. This will help to focus on a specific problem and save effort during the program. The application should be signed by the trainee, the mentor and the head of the home department, including acknowledgment of the economic responsibilities (program fee and scheduled time off ordinary work).

For more details visit SSAI homepage or send an e-mail to:

ssaispomm@gmail.com

The Steering Committee: