Enhanced recovery after surgery in elective benign general gynaecological surgery: postoperative recovery outcomes and health economic value of hospitalisation costs under China’s diagnosis-related group (DRG) payment system – a retrospective cohort

The postoperative recovery speed was accelerated, the recovery time was shortened and the patient's quality of life was enhanced during gynaecological surgery due to the implementation of ERAS practices. Increasing the ERAS completion rate can significantly reduce patient average hospitalisation costs. Additionally, variations in medical insurance, disease categories and specific ERAS measures influenced these costs. Therefore, hospitals that are unable to fully implement all ERAS measures must prioritise those that promote recovery. In addition, hospitals should adopt flexible strategies to minimise costs, thereby achieving mutual benefits for patients and hospitals. These findings establish a foundation for the implementation of a simplified ERAS version. It has been observed through the perspective of DRG implementation in China that payment standards exceed the average hospitalisation costs associated with specific surgical procedures. This result suggests that DRG implementation can benefit both patients and hospitals. These study results will serve as a valuable reference for decision-making by health insurance bureaus, hospitals and patients.