OBJECTIVE: To report the experiences of 66 surgical specialists from 15 different hospitals who performed 43 CPT-based procedures more than 16,000 times. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Surgeons are under increasing pressure to demonstrate patient safety data as quantitated by objective and subjective outcomes that meet or exceed the standards of benchmark institutions or databases. METHODS: Data from 66 surgical specialists on 43 CPT-based procedures were accessioned over a 4-year period. The hospitals vary from a small 30-bed hospital to large teaching hospitals. All reported deaths and complications were verified from hospital and office records and compared with benchmarks. RESULTS: Over a 4-year inclusive period (1999-2002), 16,028 elective operations were accessioned. There was a total 1.4% complication rate and 0.05% death rate. A system has been developed for tracking outcomes. A wide range of improvements have been identified. These include the following: 1) improved classification of indications for systemic prophylactic antibiotic use and reduction in the variety of drugs used, 2) shortened length of stay for standard procedures in different surgical specialties, 3) adherence to strict indicators for selected operative procedures, 4) less use of costly diagnostic procedures, 5) decreased use of expensive home health services, 6) decreased use of very expensive drugs, 7) identification of the unnecessary expense of disposable laparoscopic devices, 8) development of a method to compare a one-surgeon hospital with his peers, and 9) development of unique protocols for interaction of anesthesia and surgery. The system also provides a very good basis for confirmation of patient safety and improvement therein. CONCLUSIONS: Since 1998, Quality Surgical Solutions, PLLC, has developed simple physician-authored protocols for delivering high-quality and cost-effective surgery that measure up to benchmark institutions. We have discovered wide areas for improvements in surgery by adherence to simple protocols, minimizing death and complications and clarifying cost issues.
OBJECTIVE: To report the experiences of 66 surgical specialists from 15 different hospitals who performed 43 CPT-based procedures more than 16,000 times. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Surgeons are under increasing pressure to demonstrate patient safety data as quantitated by objective and subjective outcomes that meet or exceed the standards of benchmark institutions or databases. METHODS: Data from 66 surgical specialists on 43 CPT-based procedures were accessioned over a 4-year period. The hospitals vary from a small 30-bed hospital to large teaching hospitals. All reported deaths and complications were verified from hospital and office records and compared with benchmarks. RESULTS: Over a 4-year inclusive period (1999-2002), 16,028 elective operations were accessioned. There was a total 1.4% complication rate and 0.05% death rate. A system has been developed for tracking outcomes. A wide range of improvements have been identified. These include the following: 1) improved classification of indications for systemic prophylactic antibiotic use and reduction in the variety of drugs used, 2) shortened length of stay for standard procedures in different surgical specialties, 3) adherence to strict indicators for selected operative procedures, 4) less use of costly diagnostic procedures, 5) decreased use of expensive home health services, 6) decreased use of very expensive drugs, 7) identification of the unnecessary expense of disposable laparoscopic devices, 8) development of a method to compare a one-surgeon hospital with his peers, and 9) development of unique protocols for interaction of anesthesia and surgery. The system also provides a very good basis for confirmation of patient safety and improvement therein. CONCLUSIONS: Since 1998, Quality Surgical Solutions, PLLC, has developed simple physician-authored protocols for delivering high-quality and cost-effective surgery that measure up to benchmark institutions. We have discovered wide areas for improvements in surgery by adherence to simple protocols, minimizing death and complications and clarifying cost issues.
Authors: S F Khuri; J Daley; W Henderson; K Hur; J O Gibbs; G Barbour; J Demakis; G Irvin; J F Stremple; F Grover; G McDonald; E Passaro; P J Fabri; J Spencer; K Hammermeister; J B Aust Journal: J Am Coll Surg Date: 1997-10 Impact factor: 6.113
Authors: J Daley; S F Khuri; W Henderson; K Hur; J O Gibbs; G Barbour; J Demakis; G Irvin; J F Stremple; F Grover; G McDonald; E Passaro; P J Fabri; J Spencer; K Hammermeister; J B Aust; C Oprian Journal: J Am Coll Surg Date: 1997-10 Impact factor: 6.113
Authors: S F Khuri; J Daley; W Henderson; K Hur; J Demakis; J B Aust; V Chong; P J Fabri; J O Gibbs; F Grover; K Hammermeister; G Irvin; G McDonald; E Passaro; L Phillips; F Scamman; J Spencer; J F Stremple Journal: Ann Surg Date: 1998-10 Impact factor: 12.969
Authors: J Forrest Calland; Reid B Adams; Daniel K Benjamin; Matthew J O'Connor; Vinay Chandrasekhara; Stephanie Guerlain; Rayford Scott Jones Journal: Ann Surg Date: 2002-05 Impact factor: 12.969
Authors: B G Hattler; C Madia; C Johnson; J M Armitage; R L Hardesty; R L Kormos; S M Pham; D N Payne; B P Griffith Journal: Ann Thorac Surg Date: 1994-11 Impact factor: 4.330
Authors: T A Brennan; L L Leape; N M Laird; L Hebert; A R Localio; A G Lawthers; J P Newhouse; P C Weiler; H H Hiatt Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 1991-02-07 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: S F Khuri; J Daley; W Henderson; G Barbour; P Lowry; G Irvin; J Gibbs; F Grover; K Hammermeister; J F Stremple Journal: J Am Coll Surg Date: 1995-05 Impact factor: 6.113
Authors: Steve Kwon; Michael Florence; Peter Grigas; Marc Horton; Karen Horvath; Morrie Johnson; Gregory Jurkovich; Wendy Klamp; Kristin Peterson; Terence Quigley; William Raum; Terry Rogers; Richard Thirlby; Ellen T Farrokhi; David R Flum Journal: Surgery Date: 2011-11-30 Impact factor: 3.982
Authors: Emilio Morpurgo; Gary C Vitale; Susan Galandiuk; Jennifer Kimberling; Craig Ziegler; Hiram C Polk Journal: J Gastrointest Surg Date: 2004 Jul-Aug Impact factor: 3.452