Systematic review of the quality of surgical mortality monitoring

Hospital volume-mortality association after esophagectomy for cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Postoperative mortality plays an important role in evaluating the surgical safety of esophagectomy. Although postoperative mortality after esophagectomy is partly influenced by the yearly hospital surgical case volume (hospital volume), this association remains unclear.

METHODS

Studies assessing the association between hospital volume and postoperative mortality in patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer were searched for eligibility. Odds ratios were pooled for the highest versus lowest categories of hospital volume using a random effects model. The dose-response association between hospital volume and the risk of postoperative mortality was analyzed. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO.

RESULTS

Fifty-six studies including 385 469 participants were included. A higher-volume hospital significantly reduced the risk of postesophagectomy mortality by 53% compared with their lower-volume counterparts (odds ratio, 0.47; 95% CI: 0.42-0.53). Similar results were found in subgroup analyses. Volume-outcome analysis suggested that postesophagectomy mortality rates remained roughly stable after the hospital volume reached a plateau of 45 esophagectomies per year.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher-volume hospitals had significantly lower postesophagectomy mortality rates in patients with esophageal cancer, with a threshold of 45 esophagectomies per year for a high-volume hospital. This remarkable negative correlation showed the benefit of a better safety in centralization of esophagectomy to a high-volume hospital.

Association between hospital surgical case volume and postoperative mortality in patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Postoperative mortality is an important indicator for evaluating surgical safety. Postoperative mortality is influenced by hospital volume; however, this association is not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the volume-outcome association between the hospital surgical case volume for gastrectomies per year (hospital volume) and the risk of postoperative mortality in patients undergoing a gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

METHODS

Studies assessing the association between hospital volume and the postoperative mortality in patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer were searched for eligibility. Odds ratios were pooled for the highest versus lowest categories of hospital volume using a random-effects model. The volume-outcome association between hospital volume and the risk of postoperative mortality was analyzed. The study protocol was registered with Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO).

RESULTS

Thirty studies including 586 993 participants were included. The risk of postgastrectomy mortality in patients with gastric cancer was 35% lower in hospitals with higher surgical case volumes than in their lower-volume counterparts (odds ratio: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.56-0.76; P <0.001). This relationship was consistent and robust in most subgroup analyses. Volume-outcome analysis found that the postgastrectomy mortality rate remained stable or was reduced after the hospital volume reached a plateau of 100 gastrectomy cases per year.

CONCLUSIONS

The current findings suggest that a higher-volume hospital can reduce the risk of postgastrectomy mortality in patients with gastric cancer, and that greater than or equal to 100 gastrectomies for gastric cancer per year may be defined as a high hospital surgical case volume.

Unplanned Return to the Operating Room after Elective Oncologic Thoracic Surgery: A Further Quality Indicator in Surgical Oncology

Background: An unplanned return to the operating room (UROR) is defined as a readmission to the operating room because of a complication or an untoward outcome related to the initial surgery. The aim of the present report is to evaluate the role of URORs after elective oncologic thoracic surgery. Methods: In the study, 4012 consecutive patients were enrolled; among them, 71 patients (1.76%) had an unplanned return to the operating room. Age, sex, Charlson comorbidity index, induction treatments, type of the first operation, indication to readmission to the operating room and type of second operation, length of stay, complication after reoperation and outcomes were collected. Results: The mean age was 63.3 (SD: 13.0); there were 53 male patients (74.6%); the type of the first procedure was: lower lobectomy (11.3%), middle lobectomy (1.4%), upper lobectomy (22.5%), metastasectomy (5.6%), extrapleural pneumonectomy (4.2%), pneumonectomy (40.9%), pleural biopsy (5.6%) and other procedures (8.5%). Patients presenting complications after UROR had undergone a significantly longer first procedure (p < 0.02), had a longer length of stay (p < 0.001) and had higher post-operative mortality (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The patients experiencing UROR after elective oncologic thoracic surgery have significantly higher morbidity and mortality rates when compared to standard thoracic surgery. Bronchopleural fistula remains the most lethal complication in patients undergoing UROR.

Application of the Clavien-Dindo classification to a pediatric surgical network

INTRODUCTION

A comprehensive validated system to evaluate surgical complications is required in our specialty to facilitate comparison and audit. The Clavien-Dindo (CD) classification of post-surgical complications was originally described in an adult general surgical setting in 1992 and has become widely used. We aimed to apply this to a pediatric surgical setting.

METHODS

Data were collected on emergency and elective surgical activity together with complications in a prospective audit over a recent 4-month period in three geographical conjoined regional pediatric surgical units (including two major trauma centres). Briefly the CD classification codes complications according to degree of harm and magnitude of intervention required [I - V (death) with III and IV sub-divided according to whether general anesthesia was needed]. Length of stay and mode of admission were recorded. Data are given as median (range). Non-parametric comparison was used, and a p value of <0.05 was regarded as significant.

RESULTS

During the period JULY - OCT 2018 (inclusive), there were 1822 admissions (elective, n = 1186: emergency, n = 636) and 1556 operations (elective, n = 1189, and of these 393 were urological). There were 69 patient complications: CDI (n = 7), CD-II (n = 19), CD-IIIa (n = 4), CD-IIIb (n = 28), CD-IV (n = 4), CD-V (n = 7). Deaths were principally in neonates and due to NEC (n = 6) at 2.5 (1-140) days post-operatively. There was a single post-traumatic death in an adolescent. LOS was 9 (0-217) days in CD I-IV. The incidence of any complication was 4.4%, of serious complication (defined as ≥CD III) 2.6% (A = 2.1%, B = 2.0%, and C = 3.2%: p = 0.16), and of death 0.45%. The most frequent complications were wound infection (n = 12) and post-appendicectomy collections/abscess (n = 10).

CONCLUSIONS

This appears to be the 1st report of the C-D classification in a general pediatric surgery network and can be considered a benchmark. The risk of death or serious harm is very low in such a practice.

TYPE OF STUDY

Prospective Cohort Study.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IIb.

Geographical and ethnic differences of osteoarthritis-associated hip and knee replacement surgeries in New Zealand: a population-based cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

To (1) explore the regional and ethnic differences in rates of publicly funded osteoarthritis-associated hip and knee replacement surgeries and (2) investigate the mortality after surgery.

DESIGN

Population-based, retrospective, cross-sectional study.

SETTING

General population in New Zealand.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients with osteoarthritis who underwent publicly funded primary hip and knee replacement surgeries in 2005-2017. Patients aged 14-99 years were included.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Age-standardised rate, standardised mortality ratio (SMR) and 30 days, 90 days and 1 year mortality.

RESULTS

We identified 53 439 primary hip replacements and 50 072 primary knee replacements with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis. The number and age-standardised rates of hip and knee replacements increased over time. Māori had the highest age-standardised rate of hip replacements, followed by European/others and Pacific, and Asian had the lowest rate. Pacific had the highest age-standardised rate of knee replacements, followed by Māori and European/others, and Asian had the lowest rate. The Northern Health Network had the lowest rate of hip surgeries, and the Southern Health Network had the lowest rate of knee surgeries. The SMRs of patients undergoing hip and knee replacements were lower than the general population: 0.92 (95% CI 0.89 to 0.95) for hip and 0.79 (95% CI 0.76 to 0.82) for knee. The SMRs were decreasing over time. The patterns of 30 days, 90 days and 1 year mortality were similar to the SMR.

CONCLUSIONS

The numbers of publicly funded osteoarthritis-associated primary hip and knee replacements are steadily increasing. Māori people had the highest age-standardised rate of hip replacements and Pacific people had the highest rate of knee replacements. The Northern Health Network had the lowest rate of hip surgeries, and the Southern Health Network had the lowest rate of knee surgeries. Compared with the general population, patients who had hip and knee replacements have a better life expectancy.

The Safety of Acupuncture – Evidence from the Uk

Background

Patients are attracted to acupuncture partly by its reputation for having low risks. The safety of acupuncture should be established by positive evidence.

Methods

Two prospective surveys were conducted among different groups of professionals in the UK, including doctors, physiotherapists and practitioners primarily trained in acupuncture. Participants monitored adverse events over a defined period of time, and reported minor and significant events on purpose designed forms.

Results

A total of 652 acupuncturists reported 6733 adverse reactions including tiredness in 66 229 patients, an adverse event rate of 10.2%. The most common events were tiredness (3%) bleeding or bruising (3%), aggravation of symptoms (2%) and pain at the needling site (1%). There were no serious adverse events. A total of 86 (0.1%) of the treatments was associated with an event that the practitioner judged to be significant though without persistent consequences for the patient's health.

Conclusion

The risks associated with acupuncture can be classified as negligible, and acupuncture is a very safe treatment in the hands of competent practitioners.

National hospital mortality surveillance system: a descriptive analysis

OBJECTIVE

To provide a description of the Imperial College Mortality Surveillance System and subsequent investigations by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in National Health Service (NHS) hospitals receiving mortality alerts.

BACKGROUND

The mortality surveillance system has generated monthly mortality alerts since 2007, on 122 individual diagnosis and surgical procedure groups, using routinely collected hospital administrative data for all English acute NHS hospital trusts. The CQC, the English national regulator, is notified of each alert. This study describes the findings of CQC investigations of alerting trusts.

METHODS

We carried out (1) a descriptive analysis of alerts (2007-2016) and (2) an audit of CQC investigations in a subset of alerts (2011-2013).

RESULTS

Between April 2007 and October 2016, 860 alerts were generated and 76% (654 alerts) were sent to trusts. Alert volumes varied over time (range: 40-101). Septicaemia (except in labour) was the most commonly alerting group (11.5% alerts sent). We reviewed CQC communications in a subset of 204 alerts from 96 trusts. The CQC investigated 75% (154/204) of alerts. In 90% of these pursued alerts, trusts returned evidence of local case note reviews (140/154). These reviews found areas of care that could be improved in 69% (106/154) of alerts. In 25% (38/154) trusts considered that identified failings in care could have impacted on patient outcomes. The CQC investigations resulted in full trust action plans in 77% (118/154) of all pursued alerts.

CONCLUSION

The mortality surveillance system has generated a large number of alerts since 2007. Quality of care problems were found in 69% of alerts with CQC investigations, and one in four trusts reported that failings in care may have an impact on patient outcomes. Identifying whether mortality alerts are the most efficient means to highlight areas of substandard care will require further investigation.

Systematic review of hospital-wide complication registries

Background

An institutional registry covering all surgical specialties could be an implementation tool in quality benchmarking between hospitals and aid determination of their cost‐effectiveness. The objective of this systematic literature review was to evaluate original articles on existing prospective surgical registries that can be used by single institutions across surgical specialties.

Method

A systematic review of the literature using PRISMA guidelines was conducted for articles focusing on hospital‐wide surgical registries. Single‐specialty retrospective registries, non‐defined outcome measures or system protocols, and studies not in English were excluded.

Results

Five articles were included for analysis. Evaluation of the articles revealed wide methodological heterogeneity in the classification and categorization of complications and data collection methods.

Conclusion

Ideal surgical quality monitoring systems should be real‐time, contain patient‐related risk factors, and encompass all surgical specialties. At present, such institutional registries are rarely reported and no consensus exists on their standard definitions and methodology.

Validity and significance of 30-day mortality rate as a quality indicator for gastrointestinal cancer surgeries

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Benchmarking has proven beneficial in improving the quality of surgery. Mortality rate is an objective indicator, of which the 30-day mortality rate is the most widely used. However, as a result of recent advances in medical care, the 30-day mortality rate may not cover overall surgery-related mortalities. We examined the significance and validity of the 30-day mortality rate as a quality indicator.

METHODS

The present study was conducted on cancer surgeries of esophagectomy, total gastrectomy, distal gastrectomy, right hemicolectomy, low anterior resection, hepatectomy, and pancreaticoduodenectomy that were registered in the first halves of 2012, 2013 and 2014 in a Japanese nationwide large-scale database. This study examined the mortality curve for each surgical procedure, "sensitivity of surgery-related death" (capture ratio) at each time point between days 30-180, and the association between mortality within 30 days, mortality after 31 days, and preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative factors.

RESULTS

Surgery-related mortality rates of each surgical procedure were 0.6%-3.0%. Regarding 30-day mortality rates, only 38.7% (esophagectomy) to 53.3% (right hemicolectomy) of surgery-related mortalities were captured. The capture ratio of surgery-related deaths reached 90% or higher for 120-day to 150-day mortality rates. Factors associated with mortality rate within 30 days/after the 31st day were different, depending on the type of surgical procedure.

CONCLUSION

Thirty-day mortality rate is useful as a quality indicator, but is not necessarily sufficient for all surgical procedures. Quality of surgery may require evaluation by combining 30-day mortality rates with other indicators, depending on the surgical procedure.

In- and out-hospital mortality rate in surgical patients

BACKGROUND

Death rates after surgery are increasingly analysed for clinical audit and quality assessment. Many studies commonly provide information only on deaths that occur during hospital stay, known as in-hospital death rates. By using hospital data set linked to death certificate registry, we recorded in- and out-hospital deaths within 30 and 60 post-operative days.

METHODS

The study included all consecutive surgical procedures (denominator) under general or locoregional anaesthesia in adult patients admitted for elective or non-elective inpatient surgery. Patients undergoing planned day-case surgery or obstetrical procedures were excluded. The primary outcome was 30- and 60-day post-operative mortality rate (numerator) whether before or after discharge.

RESULTS

The study material consisted of a sample of 36,494 surgical procedures corresponding to 28,202 patients. At 30-day, 384 (crude mortality rate of 1.1%) patients died, 314 (82%) during their hospitalisation and 70 (18%) after discharge. Factors that were associated with in-hospital mortality are ASA scores, emergency, duration of surgery and rate of admission to critical care unit. Within the 30-60 days interval, we recorded 231 supplemental deaths, 103 (45%) after discharge.

CONCLUSION

In-hospital mortality alone is an incomplete measure of mortality even within 30 days of care. To identify the missing deaths, hospital records need to be linked to data from death certificate. This connection with the national death registry will allow obtaining the rate of in-hospital and out-hospital death.

Evaluation of a national surveillance system for mortality alerts: a mixed-methods study

Background

Since 2007, Imperial College London has generated monthly mortality alerts, based on statistical process control charts and using routinely collected hospital administrative data, for all English acute NHS hospital trusts. The impact of this system has not yet been studied.

Objectives

To improve understanding of mortality alerts and evaluate their impact as an intervention to reduce mortality.

Design

Mixed methods.

Setting

English NHS acute hospital trusts.

Participants

Eleven trusts were included in the case study. The survey involved 78 alerting trusts.

Main outcome measures

Relative risk of mortality and perceived efficacy of the alerting system.

Data sources

Hospital Episodes Statistics, published indicators on quality and safety, Care Quality Commission (CQC) reports, interviews and documentary evidence from case studies, and a national evaluative survey.

Methods

Descriptive analysis of alerts; association with other measures of quality; associated change in mortality using an interrupted time series approach; in-depth qualitative case studies of institutional response to alerts; and a national cross-sectional evaluative survey administered to describe the organisational structure for mortality governance and perceptions of efficacy of alerts.

Results

A total of 690 mortality alerts generated between April 2007 and December 2014. CQC pursued 75% (154/206) of alerts sent between 2011 and 2013. Patient care was cited as a factor in 70% of all investigations and in 89% of sepsis alerts. Alerts were associated with indicators on bed occupancy, hospital mortality, staffing, financial status, and patient and trainee satisfaction. On average, the risk of death fell by 58% during the 9-month lag following an alert, levelling afterwards and reaching an expected risk within 18 months of the alert. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and sepsis alerts instigated institutional responses across all the case study sites, although most sites were undertaking some parallel activities at a more general level to address known problems in care in these and other areas. Responses included case note review and coding improvements, changes in patient pathways, changes in diagnosis of sepsis and AMI, staff training in case note write-up and coding, greater transparency in patient deterioration, and infrastructure changes. Survey data revealed that 86% of responding trusts had a dedicated trust-level lead for mortality reduction and 92% had a dedicated trust-level mortality group or committee in place. Trusts reported that mortality reduction was a high priority and that there was strong senior leadership support for mortality monitoring. The weakest areas reported concerned the accuracy of coding, the quality of specialty-level mortality data and understanding trends in specialty-level mortality data.

Limitations

Owing to the correlational nature of our analysis, we could not ascribe a causal link between mortality alerts and reductions in mortality. The complexity of the institutional context and behaviour hindered our capacity to attribute locally reported changes specifically to the effects of the alerts rather than to ongoing institutional strategy.

Conclusions

The mortality alert surveillance system reflects aspects of quality care and is valued by trusts. Alerts were considered a useful focus for identifying problems and implementing interventions around mortality.

Future work

A further analysis of site visits and survey material, the application of evaluative framework to other interventions, a blinded case note review and the dissemination of findings.

Funding

The National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.

Increased capture of pediatric surgical complications utilizing a novel case-log web application to enhance quality improvement

PURPOSE

Documenting surgical complications is limited by multiple barriers and is not fostered in the electronic health record. Tracking complications is essential for quality improvement (QI) and required for board certification. Current registry platforms do not facilitate meaningful complication reporting. We developed a novel web application that improves accuracy and reduces barriers to documenting complications.

METHODS

We deployed a custom web application that allows pediatric surgeons to maintain case logs. The program includes a module for entering complication data in real time. Reminders to enter outcome data occur at key postoperative intervals to optimize recall of events. Between October 1, 2014, and March 31, 2015, frequencies of surgical complications captured by the existing hospital reporting system were compared with data aggregated by our application.

RESULTS

780 cases were captured by the web application, compared with 276 cases registered by the hospital system. We observed an increase in the capture of major complications when compared to the hospital dataset (14 events vs. 4 events).

CONCLUSIONS

This web application improved real-time reporting of surgical complications, exceeding the accuracy of administrative datasets. Custom informatics solutions may help reduce barriers to self-reporting of adverse events and improve the data that presently inform pediatric surgical QI.

TYPE OF STUDY

Diagnostic study/Retrospective study.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III - case control study.

Ninety-day Postoperative Mortality Is a Legitimate Measure of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgical Quality

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the legitimacy of 90-day mortality as a measure of hepatopancreatobiliary quality.

BACKGROUND

The 90-day mortality rate has been increasingly but not universally reported after hepatopancreatobiliary surgery. The legitimacy of this definition as a measure of surgical quality has not been evaluated.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the causes of all deaths that occurred within 365 postoperative days in patients undergoing hepatectomy (n = 2811) and/or pancreatectomy (n = 1092) from January 1997 to December 2012. The rates of surgery-related, disease-related, and overall mortality within 30 days, within 30 days or during the index hospitalization, within 90 days, and within 180 days after surgery were calculated.

RESULTS

Seventy-nine (3%) surgery-related deaths and 92 (3%) disease-related deaths occurred within 365 days after hepatectomy. Twenty (2%) surgery-related deaths and 112 (10%) disease-related deaths occurred within 365 days after pancreatectomy. The overall mortality rates at 99 and 118 days optimally reflected surgery-related mortality after hepatobiliary and pancreatic operations, respectively. The 90-day overall mortality rate was a less sensitive but equivalently specific measure of surgery-related death.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The 99- and 118-day definitions of postoperative mortality optimally reflected surgery-related mortality after hepatobiliary and pancreatic operations, respectively. However, among commonly reported metrics, the 90-day overall mortality rate represents a legitimate measure of surgical quality.

After Pancreatectomy, the “90 Days from Surgery” Definition Is Superior to the “30 Days from Discharge” Definition for Capture of Clinically Relevant Readmissions

BACKGROUND

Previous studies by different authors have reported their readmission rates after pancreatectomy as either “30 days from discharge” or “90 days from surgery.” The objective of this study was to determine which of these definitions captures the most surgery-related complications.

METHODS

A prospectively maintained database at a high volume center was queried to identify all individuals who underwent pancreatectomy between 2000 and 2012 for any diagnosis. The data was analyzed at 30 days after discharge and 90 days after operation. The optimal timing for complication reporting was defined as the time point that maximized the capture of surgery-related readmissions and direct major surgical complications while minimizing the capture of disease (cancer)-related readmissions.

RESULTS

There were 1123 patients included during the study time period. The median age was 63 years old, and 55.6% were male. Operations included 833 (74.2%) pancreaticoduodenectomies, 257 (22.9%) distal pancreatectomies, 18 (1.6%) total pancreatectomies, and 15 (1.3%) central pancreatectomies. Surgery-related readmissions occurred in 248 (22%) individuals, while readmission related to malignant disease progression occurred in 25 (2%) individuals. The 30 days from discharge definition captured 184 surgery-related readmissions and 1 disease-related readmission (sensitivity 0.74, specificity 0.96). The 90 days from surgery definition captured 215 surgery-related readmissions and 1 disease-related readmission (sensitivity 0.87, specificity 0.96). Major surgical complication was the only independent factor associated with readmission not captured by the 30 days from discharge definition (p = 0.002, HR 3.94, 95% CI 1.44–12.22).

CONCLUSION

The 90 days from surgery definition was superior to the 30 days from discharge definition, especially with regards to readmission related to major surgical complications.

Surgical care for the aged: a retrospective cross-sectional study of a national surgical mortality audit

OBJECTIVES

It is assumed that increased age signifies increased surgical care. Few surgical studies describe the differences in care provided to older patients compared with younger patients. We aimed to examine the relationships between increasing age, preoperative factors and markers of postoperative care in adults who died in-hospital after surgery in Australia.

DESIGN

This retrospective cross-sectional study extracted data from a national surgical mortality audit--an independent, peer-reviewed process.

SETTING

From January 2009 to December 2012, 111 public and 61 private Australian hospitals notified the audit of in-hospital deaths after general anaesthetic surgery or if the patient was admitted under a surgeon.

PARTICIPANTS

Notified deaths totalled 19,723. We excluded deaths if patients were brain dead, younger than 17 years or never had an operation (n=11,376). From this baseline population, we divided 11,201 deaths into three patient age groups: youngest (17-64 years), medium (65-79 years) and oldest (≥80 years).

OUTCOME MEASURES

Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses determined the relationships between increasing age and the measured preoperative factors and postoperative variables.

RESULTS

The baseline population's median age was 78 years (IQR 66-85), 43.7% (4892/11,201) were 80 years or older and 83.4% (9319/11,173) had emergency admissions. The oldest group had increased trauma and emergency admissions than the medium and youngest age groups. Seven of the eight measured markers of postoperative care demonstrate strong and significant relationships with increasing age. The oldest group compared with the medium group had decreased rates of: unplanned returns to theatre (11.2% (526/4709) vs 20.2% (726/3586)), unplanned intensive care admissions (16.3% (545/3350) vs 24.0% (601/2504)) and treatment in intensive care units (59.7% (2689/4507) vs 76.7% (2754/3590)).

CONCLUSIONS

The oldest patients received lower levels of care than the medium and youngest age groups.

Reliability of risk-adjusted outcomes for profiling hospital surgical quality

IMPORTANCE

Quality improvement platforms commonly use risk-adjusted morbidity and mortality to profile hospital performance. However, given small hospital caseloads and low event rates for some procedures, it is unclear whether these outcomes reliably reflect hospital performance.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the reliability of risk-adjusted morbidity and mortality for hospital performance profiling using clinical registry data.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, 2009. Participants included all patients (N = 55,466) who underwent colon resection, pancreatic resection, laparoscopic gastric bypass, ventral hernia repair, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, and lower extremity bypass.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Outcomes included risk-adjusted overall morbidity, severe morbidity, and mortality. We assessed reliability (0-1 scale: 0, completely unreliable; and 1, perfectly reliable) for all 3 outcomes. We also quantified the number of hospitals meeting minimum acceptable reliability thresholds (>0.70, good reliability; and >0.50, fair reliability) for each outcome.

RESULTS

For overall morbidity, the most common outcome studied, the mean reliability depended on sample size (ie, how high the hospital caseload was) and the event rate (ie, how frequently the outcome occurred). For example, mean reliability for overall morbidity was low for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (reliability, 0.29; sample size, 25 cases per year; and event rate, 18.3%). In contrast, mean reliability for overall morbidity was higher for colon resection (reliability, 0.61; sample size, 114 cases per year; and event rate, 26.8%). Colon resection (37.7% of hospitals), pancreatic resection (7.1% of hospitals), and laparoscopic gastric bypass (11.5% of hospitals) were the only procedures for which any hospitals met a reliability threshold of 0.70 for overall morbidity. Because severe morbidity and mortality are less frequent outcomes, their mean reliability was lower, and even fewer hospitals met the thresholds for minimum reliability.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Most commonly reported outcome measures have low reliability for differentiating hospital performance. This is especially important for clinical registries that sample rather than collect 100% of cases, which can limit hospital case accrual. Eliminating sampling to achieve the highest possible caseloads, adjusting for reliability, and using advanced modeling strategies (eg, hierarchical modeling) are necessary for clinical registries to increase their benchmarking reliability.

Effect of post-discharge venous thromboembolism on hospital quality comparisons following hip and knee arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

Symptomatic pre-discharge venous thromboembolism (VTE) rates after total or partial hip or knee arthroplasty have been proposed as patient safety indicators. However, assessing only pre-discharge VTE rates may be suboptimal for quality measurement as the duration of stay is relatively short and the VTE risk extends beyond the inpatient setting.

METHODS

Patients who underwent total or partial hip or knee arthroplasty were identified in the 2008 through 2010 American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database. Outcomes of interest were the deep venous thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), and overall VTE rates within thirty days after surgery and the rates during the pre-discharge and post-discharge portions of this time period. Risk-adjusted hospital rankings based on only pre-discharge (inpatient) events were compared with those based on both pre-discharge and post-discharge events within thirty days of surgery.

RESULTS

A total of 23,924 patients underwent total or partial hip arthroplasty (8499) or knee arthroplasty (15,425) at ninety-five hospitals. For hip arthroplasty, the VTE rate was 0.9%, with 57.9% of the events occurring after discharge. For knee arthroplasty, the VTE rate was 1.9%, with 38.3% of the events occurring after discharge. The median time of VTE occurrence was eleven days postoperatively for hip arthroplasty and three days for knee arthroplasty. The median duration of stay was three days for both hip and knee arthroplasty. When hospitals were ranked according to VTE rates, hospital outlier status designations changed when post-discharge events were included (κ = 0.386; 44% false-positive rate for low outliers). The median change in hospital quality ranking was 7 (interquartile range, 2 to 17), with a rank correlation of r = 0.82.

CONCLUSIONS

Nearly twice as many VTE complications were captured if both pre-discharge and post-discharge events were considered, and inclusion of post-discharge events changed hospital quality rankings. These data suggest that inclusion of post-discharge events should be considered when comparing the quality of hospitals on the basis of postoperative VTE rates.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Iatrogenic vascular injuries with lethal outcome

BACKGROUND

The aim was to study the nature of iatrogenic vascular injuries (IVIs) associated with postoperative death within 30 days.

METHODS

Patients who had undergone vascular surgery for IVIs and were reported prospectively to the Swedish national vascular registry during 1987-2008 were identified. They were cross-checked with the national population registry. Those who died within 30 days of surgery were studied regarding case records and death certificates.

RESULTS

A total of 56 patients with postoperative death within 30 days after IVI were identified. Among them, 52 case records were retrieved (93 %). In 24 cases the IVIs were caused by puncture during endovascular procedures (13 hemorrhage, 11 occlusive thrombosis), 11 by penetrating trauma during open surgery, 6 by occlusion after external compression, 6 by percutaneous accidental arterial puncture. Main symptoms were peripheral ischemia (19/52, 37 %), external bleeding (14, 27 %), and hypovolemic shock without external bleeding (10, 19 %). Main specialties involved were interventional radiology (n = 18), general surgery (n = 9), and interventional cardiology (n = 8). Overall, 22 (42 %) were avoidable, and only 13 (25 %) underwent autopsy. Within 2 weeks, 36 patients (69 %) were dead. Also, there was a higher proportion with uncertain correlation between IVI and death.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventional radiology, general surgery, and cardiology are the main specialities involved in IVIs with lethal outcome. Not all fatalities after IVI are attributable to the injury itself, but almost half of the injuries were considered avoidable.

The challenge of education in colorectal cancer surgery: a comparison of early oncological results, morbidity, and mortality between residents and attending surgeons performing an open right colectomy

OBJECTIVES

Ongoing education in surgical oncology is mandatory in a modern residency program. Achieving acceptable morbidity and mortality rates, together with oncological adequacy, is mandatory. The aim of the study was to compare early surgical outcomes in 2 groups of patients, those operated on by a surgical resident supervised by an attending surgeon and those operated on by 2 attending surgeons.

DESIGN

Data from consecutive patients with right colon cancer undergoing a right hemicolectomy were collected and analyzed. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the surgeons' credentials: residents supervised by an attending surgeon and 2 attending surgeons. To evaluate the specific case mix of the 2 groups, the Portsmouth-Physiological and Operative Severity Score for enUmeration of Mortality and morbidity (P-POSSUM) was calculated. Observed over expected 30-day morbidity and mortality rates were compared for the 2 groups. The number of lymph nodes retrieved was chosen to determine oncological appropriateness. Duration of the procedures was also recorded.

RESULTS

From January 2008 to January 2012, 139 patients underwent an right hemicolectomy (76 resections performed by surgical residents and 63 by attending surgeons). Patient characteristics according to the P-POSSUM score and cancer stage were equivalent in the 2 groups. Observed over expected mortality and morbidity rates according to P-POSSUM were 0%/3.5% and 21.6%/40.5%, respectively, for the resident group (p = nonsignificant, p = 0.01) and 4.7%/5.8% and 25.4%/42.9%, respectively, for the attending surgeons (p = nonsignificant). The node count was 23.6 nodes for residents and 23.1 for the attending surgeons. The length of surgery was 159.9 minutes vs 159.4 minutes for residents and attending surgeons, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical oncology training of residents by expert surgeons cannot put patient's safety at risk. Our study showed that oncological accuracy and the 30-day complication rate were equivalent to the standard of care in both groups. Duration of the procedure was not affected by the presence of a trainee.

Analysis of the causes and effects of delay before diagnosis using surgical mortality data

BACKGROUND

The aim of the study was to assess the causes and effects of delay in diagnosis in surgical patients who died in 20 public hospitals participating in the Queensland Audit of Surgical Mortality (QASM) in Australia.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cross-sectional analysis (June 2007 to December 2011) of deaths reported to QASM. Deaths were assigned to one of two groups (no delay or delay in diagnosis). Logistic regression was used to compare the association of delay with surgical complications, both overall and by surgical specialty.

RESULTS

A total of 3139 deaths were reported. Diagnostic delay was reported in 293 (9·3 per cent). The primary cause of delay was attributed to diagnostic support services (41·7 per cent). Some 174 (13·8 per cent) of 1259 general (gastrointestinal) surgery patients experienced delayed diagnosis. Delay across all surgical specialties was associated with an increased risk of unplanned return to theatre (odds ratio (OR) 1·77, 95 per cent confidence interval 1·24 to 2·52), of being treated in intensive care (OR 1·71, 1·15 to 2·54) and of postoperative complications (OR 1·39, 1·05 to 1·85).

CONCLUSION

General (gastrointestinal) surgery patients who experienced delayed diagnosis were at increased risk of postoperative complications.

Comparison of 30-day, 90-day and in-hospital postoperative mortality for eight different cancer types

BACKGROUND

Various definitions are used to calculate postoperative mortality. As variation hampers comparability between reports, a study was performed to evaluate the impact of using different definitions for several types of cancer surgery.

METHODS

Population-based data for the period 1997-2008 were retrieved from the Rotterdam Cancer Registry for resectional surgery of oesophageal, gastric, colonic, rectal, breast, lung, renal and bladder cancer. Postoperative deaths were tabulated as 30-day, in-hospital or 90-day mortality. Postdischarge deaths were defined as those occurring after discharge from hospital but within 30 days.

RESULTS

This study included 40,474 patients. Thirty-day mortality rates were highest after gastric (8·8 per cent) and colonic (6·0 per cent) surgery, and lowest after breast (0·2 per cent) and renal (2·0 per cent) procedures. For most tumour types, the difference between 30-day and in-hospital rates was less than 1 per cent. For bladder and oesophageal cancer, however, the in-hospital mortality rate was considerably higher at 5·1 per cent (+1·3 per cent) and 7·3 per cent (+2·8 per cent) respectively. For gastric, colonic and lung cancer, 1·0 per cent of patients died after discharge. For gastric, lung and bladder cancer, more than 3 per cent of patients died between discharge and 90 days.

CONCLUSION

The 30-day definition is recommended as an international standard because it includes the great majority of surgery-related deaths and is not subject to discharge procedures. The 90-day definition, however, captures mortality from multiple causes; although this may be of less interest to surgeons, the data may be valuable when providing information to patients before surgery.

Implementing a systems-oriented morbidity and mortality conference in remote rural Nepal for quality improvement

Problem

In hospitals in rural, resource-limited settings, there is an acute need for simple, practical strategies to improve healthcare quality.

Setting

A district hospital in remote western Nepal.

Key measures for improvement

To provide a mechanism for systems-level reflection so that staff can identify targets for quality improvement in healthcare delivery.

Strategies for change

To develop a morbidity and mortality conference (M&M) quality improvement initiative that aims to facilitate structured analysis of patient care and identify barriers to providing quality care, which can subsequently be improved.

Design

The authors designed an M&M involving clinical and non-clinical staff in conducting root-cause analyses of healthcare delivery at their hospital. Weekly conferences focus on seven domains of causal analysis: operations, supply chain, equipment, personnel, outreach, societal, and structural. Each conference focuses on assessing the care provided, and identifying ways in which services can be improved in the future.

Effects of change

Staff reception of the M&Ms was positive. In these M&Ms, staff identified problem areas in healthcare delivery and steps for improvement. Subsequently, changes were made in hospital workflow, supply procurement, and on-site training.

Lessons learnt

While widely practiced throughout the world, M&Ms typically do not involve both clinical and non-clinical staff members and do not take a systems-level approach. The authors' experience suggests that the adapted M&M conference is a simple, feasible tool for quality improvement in resource-limited settings. Senior managerial commitment is crucial to ensure successful implementation of M&Ms, given the challenging logistics of implementing these programmes in resource-limited health facilities.

The revised ACPGBI model is a simple and accurate predictor of operative mortality after potentially curative resection of colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI) risk-adjustment model for colorectal cancer surgery has been recently revised. The aim of the present study was to compare the performance of the revised ACPGBI model, the original ACPGBI model, P-POSSUM, and CR-POSSUM, in the prediction of operative mortality after resection of colorectal cancer.

METHODS

A total of 423 patients who underwent potentially curative resection of colorectal cancer at a single institution (1997-2007) were included. Data used in the construction of the ACPGBI model was collected prospectively. The models were compared by examining observed to expected (O:E) ratios, the Hosmer-Lemeshow (H-L) goodness-of-fit test, and area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) analysis.

RESULTS

The 30-day mortality rate was 4%. The performance of the models was as follows: revised ACPGBI model (O:E ratio = 1.05, AUC = 0.73, H-L = 11.02), original ACPGBI model (O:E ratio = 0.58, AUC = 0.76, H-L = 14.23), P-POSSUM (O:E ratio = 0.87, AUC = 0.79, H-L = 10.63), and CR-POSSUM (O:E ratio = 0.63, AUC = 0.84, H-L = 15.84). In subgroup analysis, the revised ACPGBI model performed well in both elective cases (O:E ratio = 1.06) and emergency cases (O:E ratio = 0.91).

CONCLUSIONS

The revised ACPGBI model is simple to construct and accurately predicts operative mortality after potentially curative resection of colorectal cancer.

Predictive value of POSSUM and ACPGBI scoring in mortality and morbidity of colorectal resection: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

Preoperative risk prediction to assess mortality and morbidity may be helpful to surgical decision making. The aim of this study was to compare mortality and morbidity of colorectal resections performed in a tertiary referral center with mortality and morbidity as predicted with physiological and operative score for enumeration of mortality and morbidity (POSSUM), Portsmouth POSSUM (P-POSSUM), and colorectal POSSUM (CR-POSSUM). The second aim of this study was to analyze the accuracy of different POSSUM scores in surgery performed for malignancy, inflammatory bowel diseases, and diverticulitis. POSSUM scoring was also evaluated in colorectal resection in acute vs. elective setting. In procedures performed for malignancy, the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI) score was assessed in the same way for comparison.

METHODS

POSSUM, P-POSSUM, and CR-POSSUM predictor equations for mortality were applied in a retrospective case-control study to 734 patients who had undergone colorectal resection. The total group was assessed first. Second, the predictive value of outcome after surgery was assessed for malignancy (n = 386), inflammatory bowel diseases (n = 113), diverticulitis (n = 91), and other indications, e.g., trauma, endometriosis, volvulus, or ischemia (n = 144). Third, all subgroups were assessed in relation to the setting in which surgery was performed: acute or elective. In patients with malignancy, the ACPGBI score was calculated as well. In all groups, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed.

RESULTS

POSSUM, P-POSSUM, and CR-POSSUM have a significant predictive value for outcome after colorectal surgery. Within the total population as well as in all four subgroups, there is no difference in the area under the curve between the POSSUM, P-POSSUM, and CR-POSSUM scores. In the subgroup analysis, smallest areas under the ROC curve are seen in operations performed for malignancy, which is significantly worse than for diverticulitis and in operations performed for other indications. For elective procedures, P-POSSUM and CR-POSSUM predict outcome significantly worse in patients operated for carcinoma than in patients with diverticulitis. In acute surgical interventions, CR-POSSUM predicts mortality better in diverticulitis than in patients operated for other indications. The ACPGBI score has a larger area under the curve than any of the POSSUM scores. Morbidity as predicted by POSSUM is most accurate in procedures for diverticulitis and worst when the indication is malignancy.

CONCLUSION

The POSSUM scores predict outcome significantly better than can be expected by chance alone. Regarding the indication for surgery, each POSSUM score predicts outcome in patients operated for diverticulitis or other indications more accurately than for malignancy. The ACPGBI score is found to be superior to the various POSSUM scores in patients who have (elective) resection of colorectal malignancy.

Outcome of laparoscopic cholecystectomy at a secondary level of care in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND/AIM

The first option for gallbladder surgery is laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The aim of this study is to analyze the outcomes for all patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy at a secondary level of care.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between 2005 and 2008, 968 consecutive laparoscopic cholecystectomies were performed at King Fahad Hospital. We collected and analyzed data including age, gender, body mass index (kg/m2), the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class, mode of admission (elective or emergency), indication for LC (chronic or acute cholecystitis [AC]), co-morbid disease, previous abdominal surgery, conversion to open cholecystectomy, complications, operation time, and length of postoperative hospital stay.

RESULTS

Nine hundred and sixty-eight patients had laparoscopic cholecystectomy at the center. There were 824 females and 144 males; the age range was 15-64 (mean 32.9 ± 12.7 years). The operating time was 45 to 180 min (median 85 min); the complication rate was 4.03% (39 patients).

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy could be performed safely in the majority of patients with cholelithiasis, by an experienced surgical team at a secondary level of care.

Comparison of outlier identification methods in hospital surgical quality improvement programs

BACKGROUND

Surgeons and hospitals are being increasingly assessed by third parties regarding surgical quality and outcomes, and much of this information is reported publicly. Our objective was to compare various methods used to classify hospitals as outliers in established surgical quality assessment programs by applying each approach to a single data set.

METHODS

Using American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data (7/2008-6/2009), hospital risk-adjusted 30-day morbidity and mortality were assessed for general surgery at 231 hospitals (cases = 217,630) and for colorectal surgery at 109 hospitals (cases = 17,251). The number of outliers (poor performers) identified using different methods and criteria were compared.

RESULTS

The overall morbidity was 10.3% for general surgery and 25.3% for colorectal surgery. The mortality was 1.6% for general surgery and 4.0% for colorectal surgery. Programs used different methods (logistic regression, hierarchical modeling, partitioning) and criteria (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, P < 0.10) to identify outliers. Depending on outlier identification methods and criteria employed, when each approach was applied to this single dataset, the number of outliers ranged from 7 to 57 hospitals for general surgery morbidity, 1 to 57 hospitals for general surgery mortality, 4 to 27 hospitals for colorectal morbidity, and 0 to 27 hospitals for colorectal mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

There was considerable variation in the number of outliers identified using different detection approaches. Quality programs seem to be utilizing outlier identification methods contrary to what might be expected, thus they should justify their methodology based on the intent of the program (i.e., quality improvement vs. reimbursement). Surgeons and hospitals should be aware of variability in methods used to assess their performance as these outlier designations will likely have referral and reimbursement consequences.

The accuracy of complications documented in a prospective complication registry

BACKGROUND

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the accuracy of a prospective complication registry for documenting complications and identify possible factors for non-registering.

METHODS

Five hundred randomly selected patients admitted at the Department of Surgery of St. Elisabeth Hospital Tilburg, The Netherlands, in the year 2005, were evaluated for incidence and type of complications by an examination of their medical records and compared with a prospective complication registry. The system was independently reviewed by two persons for missing complications. Patient files with missing complications in the registry were screened for factors possibly responsible for non-registering.

RESULTS

Two hundred thirteen complications were detected, 58 (27%) missing in the registry. There were 50 different types of complications documented. The number of events missing per category were: drug-related (50%, n = 4), organ dysfunction (44%, n = 14), infection-related (25%, n = 19), surgery/intervention-related (23%, n = 14), and hospital-provider errors (19%, n = 7). Not all clinically important complications were adequately documented (e.g., anastomotic leakage). The kappa score was 0.695, making the interrater reliability substantial.

CONCLUSION

The accuracy of registering complications is fairly acceptable compared to the ranges mentioned in literature. It is disappointing that clinically important events are missing in the registry. The inaccuracy could be explained by a great diversity of documented events, due to a broad definition, suggesting ignorance of the responsible team of which events to register.

Effect of postdischarge morbidity and mortality on comparisons of hospital surgical quality

BACKGROUND

Hospitals increasingly rely on surgical quality assessment programs that require considerable resources to capture outcomes after hospital discharge. However, it is unclear whether capturing postdischarge complications and deaths is important. Our objectives were (1) to determine the frequency of postdischarge complications and deaths and (2) to determine whether hospital rankings change with inclusion of postdischarge outcomes.

METHODS

From 181 hospitals participating in the American College of Surgeon's National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, 329,951 patients were identified (2006-2007). Mortality and 19 complications within 30 days of the index operation were categorized as occurring before or after discharge. Risk-adjusted hospital rankings were compared based on whether only predischarge (inpatient) versus both pre- and postdischarge (inpatient and outpatient within 30 days of operation) morbidity and mortality were included.

RESULTS

Postdischarge complications accounted for 32.9% of all complications. Certain complications occurred frequently after discharge: surgical site infections (66.0%), urinary tract infections (39.4%), pulmonary embolisms (42.2%), and deep venous thromboses (34.5%). Of all patients experiencing complications, 39.7% had only postdischarge complications. Of 5827 postoperative deaths, 23.6% occurred after discharge. Hospital quality rankings changed when postdischarge outcomes were excluded versus included for morbidity (median hospital rank change: 16 ranks; interquartile range, 7-36) and mortality (median hospital rank change: 14 ranks; interquartile range, 6-29), and there was disagreement in outlier status designations depending on whether postdischarge events were included (morbidity: kappa = 0.546; mortality: kappa = 0.507).

CONCLUSIONS

A substantial proportion of postoperative complications and deaths occur after hospital discharge. Inclusion of postdischarge events considerably affects hospital quality rankings and outlier status designations. Quality improvement programs and research that do not consider postdischarge outcomes may offer incomplete information to hospitals, payers, providers, and patients.

A Preliminary Audit Experience of Surgery for Rectal Cancer after Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Therapy

Aims and background

A surgical audit is a systematic critical analysis of surgical performance, with the goal to improve the quality of patient care. Rectal cancer surgery is one of the most delicate procedures in the field of surgical oncology, with significant variations in terms of complications from center to center. Neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy leads to a significant reduction in local recurrences in patients with locally advanced lower and medium rectal cancer. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy on postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients with rectal cancer.

Methods and study design

From January 1,2003, to December 31, 2007, patients who underwent elective surgical resection for lower and medium rectal cancer in our Surgical Unit were prospectively analyzed. Patients (n = 42) were divided into two groups: 1) those treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and consequent surgical resection (19/42); 2) those treated with primary surgical treatment (23/42). P-POSSUM (Portsmouth Physiologic and Operative Severity Score for the Enumeration of Mortality and Morbidity) and CR-POSSUM (ColoRectal-POSSUM) scores were calculated for each patient group. Thirty-day mortality and morbidity rates were prospectively collected in a comprehensive data base. Data were evaluated by comparing the predictions of the two scoring systems in both study groups with clinically observed mortality and morbidity rates.

Results

In group 1, no death was registered (0/19). The P-POSSUM and CR-POSSUM expected mortality was 2.43% and 4.52%, respectively (P >0.05). In group 2, a single death was documented (1/23, 4.35%). The P-POSSUM and CR-POSSUM expected mortality was 2.1% and 4.94%, respectively. The postoperative complications rate for group 1 was 10.52% (2/19) compared to 34.88% as expected from the P-POSSUM score (P <0.05). In group 2, a postoperative complication rate of 39.13% (9/23) was observed compared to 34.26% as expected from the P-POSSUM score (P >0.05).

Conclusions

No significant influence on morbidity or mortality was detected in patients who underwent neoadjuvant radio-chemotherapy.

Can elderly patients with colorectal cancer tolerate planned surgical treatment? A practical approach to a common dilemma

AIM

Analysing the effectiveness of a surgical procedure is mandatory in every modern health-care system. The aging of the population stresses the need for a good standard of care. This study tests the hypothesis that porthsmouth-physiologic operative severity score for enumeration of morbidity and mortality (P-POSSUM) and colorectal-POSSUM (CR-POSSUM) would be useful clinical auditing tools in colorectal cancer surgery for aged patients.

METHOD

One hundred and seventy-seven consecutive patients over 70 years of age underwent emergency or elective surgery from January 2003 to December 2005. Demographic, clinical and surgical information, score systems' prediction, complications and 30-day mortality data were prospectively entered in a comprehensive database. The observed over expected morbidity and mortality rate was calculated.

RESULTS

Thirty-day observed mortality was 10.3% (19/177) while P-POSSUM and CR-POSSUM expected mortality were, respectively, 11.21% (P = NS) and 13.08% (P = NS). Overall observed morbidity was 42.7%, P-POSSUM prediction was 59.3% (P = 0.002). Morbidity and mortality data were analysed for specific subgroups of patients (resection and anastomosis/resection and stoma/palliative; emergency/elective).

CONCLUSION

P-POSSUM and CR-POSSUM are useful tools to predict mortality in elderly patients. P-POSSUM significantly overestimated the risk of complications. A more accurate tool for preoperative assessment for aged patients is probably needed to predict the post-surgical outcome.

An easy-to-use solution for clinical audit in colorectal cancer surgery

BACKGROUND

Clinical audit has been increasingly required for the accreditation process in every modern healthcare system. Data collection and analysis are excessively time-consuming in everyday practice. The primary aim of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an innovative database to assist surgeons in monitoring clinical practice outcomes in colorectal cancer surgery. The second purpose was to compare observed mortality rates to 3 risk-predicting operative scoring systems.

METHODS

Data were evaluated from 208 consecutive patients undergoing elective and emergency surgery for colorectal cancer over a 2-year period (2003-2004). A new database was developed with specific queries to compare the observed and the expected mortality rates according to 3 scoring systems: the Portsmouth-Physiological and Operative Severity Score for enUmeration of Mortality and morbidity (P-POSSUM), the ColoRectal-Physiological and Operative Severity Score for enUmeration of Mortality and morbidity (CR-POSSUM), and the Association of ColoProctology or Great Britain & Ireland (ACPGBI) score. Results were discussed at regular intervals. Surgeons' satisfaction with each system was evaluated with a questionnaire.

RESULTS

The observed mortality rate was 6.25%, which was significantly lower than the values predicted by CR-POSSUM and ACPGBI colorectal scores (9.14% and 19.42%, respectively; P < .05). P-POSSUM was the most accurate predictor of mortality, with a value of 7.93%. A total of 80% of the surgical staff considered this type of surgical audit activity as clinically useful.

CONCLUSION

The study confirms the usefulness of a dedicated database in a surgical audit activity. The ACPGBI colorectal score largely overestimated 30-day mortality in our experience.

A report card system using error profile analysis and concurrent morbidity and mortality review: surgical outcome analysis, part II

BACKGROUND

An effective report card system for adverse outcome error analysis following surgery is lacking. We hypothesized that a memorialized database could be used in conjunction with error analysis and management evaluation at Morbidity & Mortality conference to generate individualized report cards for Attending Surgeon and System performance.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospectively collected data from September 2000 through April 2005 were reported following Morbidity & Mortality review on 1618 adverse outcomes, including 219 deaths, following 29,237 operative procedures, in a complete loop to approximately 60 individual surgeons and responsible system personnel.

RESULTS

A 40% reduction of gross mortality (P < 0.001) and 43% reduction of age-adjusted mortality were achieved over 4 years at the Academic Center. Quality issues were identified at a rate three times greater than required by New York State regulations and increased from a baseline 4.96% to 32.7% (odds ratio 1.94; P < 0.03) in cases associated with mortality. A detailed review demonstrated a significant increase (P < 0.001) in system errors and physician-related diagnostic and judgment errors associated with mortality highlighted those practices and processes involved, and contrasted the results between academic (43% mortality improvement) and community (no improvement) hospitals.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that structured concurrent data collection combined with non-punitive error-based case review and individualized report cards can be used to provide detailed feedback on surgical performance to individual surgeons and possibly improve clinical outcomes.

Improving quality and safety of hospital care: a reappraisal and an agenda for clinically relevant reform

Improving quality and safety of hospital care is now firmly on the health-care agenda. Various agencies within different levels of government are pursuing initiatives targeting hospitals and health professionals that aim to identify, quantify and lessen medical error and suboptimal care. Although not denying the value of such 'top-down' initiatives, more attention may be needed towards 'bottom-up' reform led by practising physicians. This article discusses factors integral to delivery of safe, high-quality care grouped under six themes: clinical workforce, teamwork, patient participation in care decisions, indications for health-care interventions, clinical governance and information systems. Following this discussion, a 20-point action plan is proposed as an agenda for future reform capable of being led by physicians, together with some cautionary notes about relying too heavily on information technology, use of non-clinical quality personnel and quantitative evaluative approaches as primary strategies in improving quality.

Risk Scoring in Perioperative and Surgical Intensive Care Patients: A Review

PURPOSE

Assessing the risk and predicting the outcome of surgery, trauma, and surgical intensive care is an important aspect of perioperative practice. There have been attempts to devise and validate many scoring systems to predict the prognosis of patients having a similar severity of illness. This article reviews some of the commonly used systems with respect to their development, strengths, and limitations.

SOURCES

Published literature describing risk assessment scores and physiologic scoring systems for preoperative assessment, trauma, and surgical intensive care patients.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Risk scores used in preoperative evaluation assist the clinician in optimizing the patient before, during, and after surgery. Scoring systems applied in intensive care units are useful as guidelines rather than accurate predictors of prognosis for individual patient. Many models are used for audit purposes, and some are used as performance measures and quality indicators of a unit; however, both utilities are controversial because of poor adjustment of these systems to case-mixtures.

CONCLUSIONS

Risk assessment scores may assist in the perioperative risk evaluation with respect to organ systems. Prognostication of critically ill patients belonging to a category of illness may be done using physiological scoring systems taking into account the difference in the case-mix of the particular unit.

Evolution of trends in risk management

In the past, the detection and response to adverse clinical events were viewed as an inherent part of professionalism; and, if perceived problems were not sorted out at that level, the ultimate expression of dissatisfaction was litigation. There are now demands for the adoption of more transparent and effective processes for risk management. Reviews of surgical practice have highlighted the presence of unacceptable levels of avoidable adverse events. This is being resolved in two ways. First, attention is being directed to the extent that training and experience have on outcomes after surgery, and both appear to be important. Second, a greater appreciation of human factors engineering has promoted a greater involvement of surgeons in processes involving teamwork and non-technical skills. The community wants surgeons who are competent and health-care systems that minimize risk. In recent times attention has been focused on the turmoil associated with change; but, when events are viewed over a period of several decades, there has been considerable progress towards these ideals. Further advancement would be aided by removing the adversarial nature of malpractice systems that have failed to maintain standards.

Mapping changes in surgical mortality over 9 years by peer review audit

Background

There is increasing public scrutiny of deaths among surgical patients. This analysis sought evidence of changes in practice over time in the management of patients who died under surgical care.

Methods

The surgeons and anaesthetists in National Health Service hospitals providing the care of all surgical patients in Scotland participated in the Scottish Audit of Surgical Mortality (SASM). Data from peer review audit, critical event analysis and individual feedback of deaths while in surgical care over 9 years (1994–2002) were examined for trends over time.

Results

Over a 9-year period, 40 448 patients died while in surgical care. Consultant surgeon and anaesthetist involvement in decision making and operating increased significantly (P &lt; 0·001), and death after elective surgery declined to 0·27 per cent of elective operations. Adverse events were more frequently due to failures of hospital systems or process than to individual clinician errors. Fewer adverse events were identified as having contributed to or caused the death of patients over time (P &lt; 0·001). Failure to use deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis and failure to use high-dependency or intensive therapy units (HDU/ITU) became less common, once highlighted by the SASM.

Conclusion

Through continuous peer review audit, the SASM has mapped and may have contributed to changes in surgical and anaesthetic practice over a 9-year period, indicating that the rate of adverse events can be decreased by changing clinician practice (DVT prophylaxis) and provision of facilities (HDU/ITU). Similar approaches should be considered by other medical specialties.

Le taux brut de mortalité postopératoire est-il un critère pertinent d'efficience d'une équipe chirurgicale ? Étude prospective des suites opératoires de 11 756 patients

AIM

Evaluation of the crude postoperative mortality rate as a relevant criterion of the efficiency of a surgical team.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

[corrected] We studied prospectively the postoperative course of 11,756 consecutive patients who underwent a general surgery procedure between January 1(st) 1987 and December 31 2002.

RESULTS

Seventy-three of patients died (0.60 percent). The median age at the time of death was 77 years old. None of the 5046 patients under 40 years old died. The operations were emergent in 3,265 patients (28 percent). The mortality rate of the 3,952 digestive surgery patients was 1.00 percent (40/3,952 patients). Among them, the mortality rate increased to 3.56 percent (17/478 patients) in case of an emergency procedure excluding procedures for non-suppurative appendicitis. Although only 8 percent of the patients were operated for a cancer (968/11,756 patients), they accounted for 49 percent of the postoperative deaths. In this cohort, the crude mortality rate varied by twice as much as were taken in account (73 deaths) or not (34 deaths) the palliative procedures in terminal phase patients, and the last-chance procedures in patients in imminent-death condition. Six hundred and twenty patients (5.3 percent) experienced at least one postoperative complication, surgical in 166 patients, and parietal in 258 patients.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that a long-term rigorous self-assessment is feasible. It confirms that the crude mortality rate is not a relevant criterion to evaluate the efficiency of a surgical team, suggests that an "avoided death" concept is more representative of medical team work and more rewarding for them and allows us to propose an index taking in account the rate of postoperative complications not followed by death.

The data quality of haematological malignancy ICD-10 diagnoses in a population-based Hospital Discharge Registry

The objectives of this study were to estimate the data quality of haematological malignancy diagnoses in a hospital discharge registry, and to quantify the impact of any misclassification of diagnoses on survival estimates. We included all patients > or = 15 years living in North Jutland County, Denmark with a first-time discharge diagnosis of a haematological malignancy registered in the Hospital Discharge Registry and the Danish Cancer Registry, the reference standard, from 1994 to 1999. We estimated completeness and positive predictive value (PPV) of haematological malignancies and specific subcategories, as a measure of data quality, and compared mortality rates based on data from the two registries by Cox regression analysis. Completeness in the Hospital Discharge Registry for all haematological malignancies was 91.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) 89.6-93.1) and PPV was 84.5% (95% CI 82.2-86.5). Reviews of the pathological files showed misclassified cases in both registries and thus indicated that both completeness and PPV of the Hospital Discharge Registry were underestimates. Mortality rate ratio for all haematological malignancies when registered in the Hospital Discharge Registry compared with being registered in the Danish Cancer Registry was 0.98 (95% CI 0.88-1.09). Discharge data had some misclassifications but these had no major impact on survival estimates.

Building a framework for trust: critical event analysis of deaths in surgical care

The British public's confidence in doctors and hospitals has been dented in recent years. Use of an independent review of deaths before, during, or after surgery reflects an attempt to improve care in this area and may also help to restore the public's trust in their health service

Estimation of physiologic ability and surgical stress (E-PASS) for a surgical audit in elective digestive surgery

BACKGROUND

This study was undertaken to establish an equation to estimate mortality with the use of the prediction scoring system designated as the Estimation of Physiologic Ability and Surgical Stress (E-PASS), and to evaluate the system's usefulness in defining quality of care by comparing it with the Physiologic and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration for Mortality and morbidity (POSSUM) and Portsmouth-possum (P-POSSUM) scoring systems previously generated for surgical audit.

METHODS

Patients (n=5212; group A) who underwent elective gastrointestinal surgery were analyzed to establish equations for estimated 30-day and in-hospital mortality rates. The usefulness of E-PASS was evaluated in another series of 1934 patients (group B) who underwent elective digestive surgery in 6 national hospitals. The ratio of observed to estimated mortality rates (OE ratio) of each hospital was defined as a measure of quality.

RESULTS

In group A, 30-day and in-hospital mortality rates increased as the Comprehensive Risk Score (CRS) increased, providing equations for estimated mortality rates. There was an excellent correlation between the estimated and observed mortality rates in individual diseases: R=0.958, N=6, P=.0027 for in-hospital mortality; R=0.937, N=6, P=.0059 for 30-day mortality. In all patients of group B, the E-PASS system estimated the 30-day mortality rates by 0.63-fold (linear analysis), whereas the POSSUM score was 11.0-fold (exponential analysis). The E-PASS system estimated the in-hospital mortality rates by 1.2-fold (linear analysis), whereas the P-POSSUM score was 4.5-fold (linear analysis). The OE ratios for 30-day mortality among the 6 hospitals defined by E-PASS correlated well with those defined by POSSUM: R=0.996, N=6, P<.0001. Similarly, the OE ratios for in-hospital mortality defined by E-PASS were also highly correlated with those defined by P-POSSUM:(R=0.929, N=6, P=.0075.

CONCLUSIONS

The E-PASS scoring system may be useful in defining surgical quality and may be more accurate than existing systems in evaluating elective digestive surgery.