Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: Economic Impact and Value.

Value in health care is defined as the best outcome that matters to the patient at the lowest cost. Therefore, a valuable intervention is one that either results in better outcomes at the same cost, the same outcomes at lower cost, or in the best-case scenario, better outcomes at lower cost. Enhanced recovery pathways (ERPs) increase value by improving clinical outcomes without increasing costs. ERPs do not increase overall costs, even when implementation and maintenance costs are considered. More research on patient-reported outcomes and other downstream effects of ERPs is required to fully characterize their true value.