See the List: MA Hospitals and Surgeons with Highest Complication Rates
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
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SEE SLIDES BELOW: MA Hospitals and Surgeons with Highest Complication Rates
Marshal Allen and Olga Pierce of ProPublica write, “As would be expected, overall complication rates were relatively low, ranging from 2 percent to 4 percent, depending on the type of surgery. But experts who reviewed ProPublica’s results say they strongly suggest that the typical surgeon’s rate can and should be significantly lower. The evidence: Some 756 surgeons who each did at least 50 operations did not record a single complication in the five years covered by the analysis. Another 1,423 had only one.”
The hospitals in the state that made the lists for highest rate of complications for more than one of these procedures included Massachusetts General Hospital, Cape Cod Hospital, Newton-Wellesley, Beth Israel Deaconess Center (Boston), and Hallmark Health System.
Dr. Thomas Lee, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health in Massachusetts, told ProPublica, “I think the methodology was rigorous and conservative. I would be surprised if any experienced clinician challenged the basic finding, which is that there is real variation among surgeons. A critical step toward improving care is to recognize that there are opportunities to improve. I think transparency on quality is a powerful tool, and, frankly, I prefer that to financial incentives as a way to drive competition and improvement on quality.”
See slides below to see what procedures resulted in complications at these hospitals.
Related Slideshow: MA Hospitals and Surgeons with Highest Complication Rates During Routine Procedures
ProPublica used Medicare data from 2009-2013 to identify cases where a patient died in the hospital or had to be readmitted within 30 days for a problem related to one of the procedures below. ProPublica calculated complication rates for surgeons, and accounted for differences in patient health, age and hospital quality. These rates are calculated using data from Medicare records, which do not include patients with private insurance or in another program like Medicaid. (Note: Some surgeons are listed more than once. A surgeon’s rate spans all hospitals at which he or she operates and is not unique to a given hospital). Zero hospitals in Massachusetts reported any complications during cervical spinal fusions.
The adjusted complication rate is measured by "the rate of complications, adjusting for several variables, including performance of the hospital and the health and age of surgeon's patients."
Definitions (Source: Pro Publica):
Knee replacement - Replace diseased knee joint with an artificial knee.
Hip replacement - Replace diseased hip joint with an artificial hip joint.
Lumbar Spinal Fusion, Posterior Technique - The fusing of two or more vertebrae in the lower back, performed on the back portion of the spine.
Lumbar Spinal Fusion, Anterior Techique - The fusing of two or more vertebrae in the lower back, performed on the front portion of the spine.
Gallbladder Removal, Laparoscopic - Minimally invasive gallbladder removal. This is performed most commonly when gallstones are blocking the flow of bile.
Prostate Removal - The removal of the entire prostate gland via the open or laparoscopic or robotic method. Usually performed to treat prostate cancer.
Prostate Resection - The resection and removal of a portion of the prostate through the urethra. This is most commonly done because of an enlarged prostate that may be restricting the flow of urine.
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Knee Replacement
Hip Replacement
Lumbar Spinal Fusion (Posterior)
Lumber Spinal Fusion (Anterior)_80_80_90_c1.jpg)
Gallbladder Removal, Laparoscopic_80_80_90_c1.jpg)
Prostate Removal_80_80_90_c1.jpg)
Prostate Resection
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