Ryan E Chupp1, Elango Edhayan2. 1. Department of Surgery, St. John Hospital and Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: ryanchupp@gmail.com. 2. Department of Surgery, St. John Hospital and Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Discordance between circulating nurse- and surgeon diagnosis-based wound classifications may lead to erroneous risk-adjusted rates of surgical site infections with effects on inter-hospital rating, reimbursement, and public perceptions regarding quality of care. METHODS: After an initial two-month audit, we placed a wound class reference algorithm in each operating room and educated staff. An audit was repeated for a two-month period after this intervention. Statistical analysis of the whole and subgroup was performed. RESULTS: Pre-intervention, the wound classifications for 70 of 300 cases were discordant. In the post-intervention group, 79 of 483 cases were discordant (p = 0.016). Subgroup analysis of colectomy and appendectomy cases demonstrated dramatically improved concordance. For colectomies, discordance dropped from 84.6% to 15% post-intervention (p = <0.001). Appendectomy discordance went from 80% of cases to 30.4% post-intervention (p = 0.001). Wound class discordance increased for the cholecystectomy subgroup (20.4%-37%) but this was not statistically significant (p = 0.066). CONCLUSIONS: As we trend towards a pay-for-performance model, health care systems should review their internal controls on documenting surgical wound classes.
BACKGROUND: Discordance between circulating nurse- and surgeon diagnosis-based wound classifications may lead to erroneous risk-adjusted rates of surgical site infections with effects on inter-hospital rating, reimbursement, and public perceptions regarding quality of care. METHODS: After an initial two-month audit, we placed a wound class reference algorithm in each operating room and educated staff. An audit was repeated for a two-month period after this intervention. Statistical analysis of the whole and subgroup was performed. RESULTS: Pre-intervention, the wound classifications for 70 of 300 cases were discordant. In the post-intervention group, 79 of 483 cases were discordant (p = 0.016). Subgroup analysis of colectomy and appendectomy cases demonstrated dramatically improved concordance. For colectomies, discordance dropped from 84.6% to 15% post-intervention (p = <0.001). Appendectomy discordance went from 80% of cases to 30.4% post-intervention (p = 0.001). Wound class discordance increased for the cholecystectomy subgroup (20.4%-37%) but this was not statistically significant (p = 0.066). CONCLUSIONS: As we trend towards a pay-for-performance model, health care systems should review their internal controls on documenting surgical wound classes.
Authors: Jeffrey D Bernstein; David J Bracken; Shira R Abeles; Ryan K Orosco; Philip A Weissbrod Journal: World J Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg Date: 2022-04-18
Authors: Menghan Shi; Zhengxue Han; Lizheng Qin; Ming Su; Yanbin Liu; Man Li; Long Cheng; Xin Huang; Zheng Sun Journal: J Int Med Res Date: 2020-08 Impact factor: 1.671