Current status of quality measurement in colon and rectal surgery.

There is increasing pressure from the public and insurance payors for transparency and accountability in ensuring the quality of health care. In response to this, hospitals are now mandated to participate in quality improvement initiatives, and to report on their performance. This article describes three programs related to the measurement of quality that impact colon and rectal surgery: the Surgical Care Improvement Project, the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, and the Surgical Care and Outcomes Assessment Program.