While prewarming can result in important clinical benefits, there are additional advantages to warming patients prior to surgery, including patient comfort.
Temperature management ranks at the top of patient concerns according to a 2003 survey that found warmth to be the most cited patient complaint.1 The Bair Paws system directly addresses this major patient issue, and satisfied patients can boost the bottom line.
Improved comfort measures can be an effective way to increase overall patient satisfaction. Strong patient satisfaction scores can attract patients, contribute to staff retention and help overall profitability. Research has shown that facilities with higher patient satisfaction scores tend to be more profitable than those with lower scores.2
1. Wilson. L. Kolcaba, K. Practical Application of Comfort Theory in the Perianesthesia Setting, Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, June 2004; 164-173.
2. Press I. Patient Satisfaction: Defining, Measuring and Improving the Experience of Care. Chicago Health Administration Press, 2002.
