Incorporating ACS into Your Practice

Acute care surgery is an evolving field which stands to benefit patients, surgeons, and hospital systems alike. A standardized definition of this practice model has yet to be agreed upon and may require flexibility with specifics dependent on the needs and resources of the employing group or institution. This chapter aims to introduce surgeons to the model, its potential pitfalls, and unique considerations when implementing this model into an existing practice. Finally, an important part of a successful acute care surgery service, billing and coding, is discussed in detail to help demystify and optimize these practices.

[1]  J Halpenny,et al.  The Training of the Surgeon. , 1918, Canadian Medical Association journal.

[2]  L. Difronzo,et al.  An Acute Care Surgery Model Improves Timeliness of Care and Reduces Hospital Stay for Patients with Acute Cholecystitis , 2011, The American surgeon.

[3]  A. Peitzman,et al.  Surgical Rescue: An Essential Component of Acute Care Surgery , 2015, Scandinavian journal of surgery : SJS : official organ for the Finnish Surgical Society and the Scandinavian Surgical Society.

[4]  A. Peitzman,et al.  Surgical rescue: The next pillar of acute care surgery , 2017, The journal of trauma and acute care surgery.

[5]  L. Weireter,et al.  Impact of acute care surgery on biliary disease. , 2010, Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

[6]  K. Inaba,et al.  Implementing acute care surgery at a level I trauma center: 1-year prospective evaluation of the impact of this shift on trauma volumes and outcomes. , 2013, American journal of surgery.

[7]  P. Barie,et al.  Pitfalls of implementing acute care surgery. , 2007, The Journal of trauma.

[8]  R. Helewa,et al.  Attending surgeon burnout and satisfaction with the establishment of a regional acute care surgical service. , 2012, Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgie.

[9]  H. Polk,et al.  Profitable Versus Unprofitable Expansion of Trauma and Critical Care Surgery , 2005, Annals of surgery.

[10]  Michael Kalina Implementation of an Acute Care Surgery Service in a Community Hospital: Impact on Hospital Efficiency and Patient Outcomes , 2016, The American surgeon.

[11]  P. Crowe,et al.  Acute‐care surgical service: a change in culture , 2009, ANZ journal of surgery.

[12]  Leonard J Weireter,et al.  Initial implementation of an acute care surgery model: implications for timeliness of care. , 2009, Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

[13]  E. Haut,et al.  Impact of the Acute Care Surgery Model on Disease- and Patient-Specific Outcomes in Appendicitis and Biliary Disease: A Meta-Analysis. , 2017, Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

[14]  G. Sheldon Access to care and the surgeon shortage: American Surgical Association forum. , 2010, Annals of surgery.

[15]  L. Scherer,et al.  Trauma and emergency surgery: an evolutionary direction for trauma surgeons. , 2004, The Journal of trauma.

[16]  P. Reilly,et al.  An Acute Care Surgery Model Improves Outcomes in Patients With Appendicitis , 2006, Annals of surgery.

[17]  J. Fischer The impending disappearance of the general surgeon. , 2007, JAMA.

[18]  H. Frankel,et al.  What price for general surgery? , 2004, The Journal of trauma.

[19]  Jeffrey P. Coughenour,et al.  Impact of acute care surgery to departmental productivity. , 2011, The Journal of trauma.

[20]  C. Lerro,et al.  The shortage of on-call surgical specialist coverage: a national survey of emergency department directors. , 2010, Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

[21]  G. Rozycki,et al.  Acute care surgery: Now that we have built it, will they come? , 2013, The journal of trauma and acute care surgery.

[22]  Effect of a Dedicated Acute Care Operating Room on Hospital Efficiency , 2014, The American surgeon.

[23]  Robert Cubas,et al.  Outcomes in the management of appendicitis and cholecystitis in the setting of a new acute care surgery service model: impact on timing and cost. , 2012, Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

[24]  J. Freischlag,et al.  Distress and Career Satisfaction Among 14 Surgical Specialties, Comparing Academic and Private Practice Settings , 2011, Annals of surgery.

[25]  Joseph B Zwischenberger,et al.  An acute care surgery service generates a positive contribution margin in an appropriately staffed hospital. , 2013, Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

[26]  L. D. Britt,et al.  Acute Diverticulitis Outcomes in the Acute Care Surgery Model. , 2018, Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

[27]  P. Truskett,et al.  Does an acute care surgical model improve the management and outcome of acute cholecystitis? , 2010, ANZ journal of surgery.

[28]  J. Freischlag,et al.  Burnout and Medical Errors Among American Surgeons , 2010, Annals of surgery.

[29]  C. Kiefe,et al.  A qualitative analysis of acute care surgery in the United States: it's more than just "a competent surgeon with a sharp knife and a willing attitude". , 2014, Surgery.

[30]  O. Jonasson,et al.  Retirement age and the work force in general surgery. , 1996, Annals of surgery.

[31]  K. Inaba,et al.  Necrotizing soft tissue infections: delayed surgical treatment is associated with increased number of surgical debridements and morbidity. , 2011, The Journal of trauma.