High-Observation Protocol Cuts Length of Stay in Head
physiciansbriefing.comA high-observation protocol (HOP) appears to optimize clinical care for patients with head and neck cancer undergoing primary surgery, according to a study published online June 20 in Head & Neck. The researchers found that the HOP clinical pathway was associated with significantly decreased length of ICU admission (1.9 versus 1.2 days; P = 0.021), length of stay (20.3 versus 14.1 days; P = 0.020), and ICU readmissions (10.4 versus 1.9 percent; P = 0.013).