Akron Children’s Reduces Waste Anesthesia Gases with Real-Time Analytics

In Healthcare IT News, Dr. Peggy Allen of Akron Children’s Hospital describes how the hospital’s anesthesiology team used Epic to measure, track, and ultimately transform its anesthesia practices—reducing waste anesthesia gas emissions by eliminating nearly 500 metric tons of CO2 equivalents in 2025 alone.

The effort began with baseline data captured through the Epic EHR, which allowed the team to understand exactly how much gas each provider was using and identify opportunities for low-flow anesthesia techniques. Simple interventions like an electronic low-flow reminder built into the EHR produced an immediate 5% reduction in nitrous oxide use.

Over nearly four years, the team reduced total fresh gas flows by 50% and nitrous oxide use by more than 85%—all while increasing anesthesia minutes by 20%. Allen credits the combination of Epic data, colleague education, and real-time analytics for making the sustained behavior change possible.

Read the full article in Healthcare IT News here.