Objective Assessment of Quality Measurement and Improvement.

Accurate quality measurement that allows for and results in improvement is essential to colon and rectal surgery. Currently, no consensus exists as to which variables are most important in measuring outcomes. Debate continues concerning the "best" variables to measure from a structural, process, and outcomes standpoint. Although American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program provides an opportunity for outcomes measurement in general and vascular surgery, there is no specific quality improvement tool available for colon and rectal surgery. However, there is growing literature testing the validity of candidate variables to be used in such a data collection system. This article evaluates the current objective assessment measurements used for quality improvement in colon and rectal surgery.