Reply to “Comment on Morii et al.: Surgical site infection in malignant soft tissue tumors”

We would like to thank the commentators for their interest in our recent publication, “Surgical site infection in malignant soft tissue tumors” [1]. Basically we agree with the comment that the quality of the hospital care control measures for the cases of patients with soft tissue sarcoma undergoing surgery should be re-evaluated and revised. We recognize the significance of the quality of the infection control measures at each hospital. In general, preoperative antibiotic administration before incision, appropriate antibiotic selection, appropriate hair removal and discontinuation of prophylactic antibiotics may be expected to reduce the incidence of surgical site infections [2–4]. Indeed at our institute, at present, most of the recommended measures for the care of patients with soft tissue sarcoma are undertaken.     

Appraising the Quality of Care in Surgery

There is currently no validated measurement system available for quality of care assessment in surgery despite all of the inherent benefits of such an approach. A structured quality framework needs to be developed and incorporate measures that are truly reflective of several important dimensions of care within the entire treatment episode. Presently this has been only partially addressed. These measures of quality can be categorized into clinical pathway measures (structure of care, process of care, outcome of care, and economic measures of care) and patient-reported measures (patient-reported treatment outcomes, health-related quality of life measures, and patient satisfaction). Combining these measures to create an overall composite quality score can be made feasible only if it is supported by the use of robust statistical methodology. It is important to use appropriate display of performance data to facilitate provider engagement in quality improvement initiatives. This article was designed to present such a structured approach of a quality framework, which is required to appraise the quality of care in surgery to enhance future quality improvement programmes.     

Prävention nosokomialer Infektionen

Nosocomial infections are still an important issue in surgical wards. About one patient in 15 is affected, most of them from surgical site or urinary tract infections, but pneumonia cases can also be observed frequently. Some of these infections are due to multiresistant pathogens. About one third of nosocomial infections can be regarded as avoidable. Routine surveillance of nosocomial infections and multiresistant pathogens, feedback of data to all personnel involved in patient care, and routine educational activities in this field are the crucial elements for achieving high compliance with the most important infection control measures.     

Quality of Care Indicators for the Surgical Treatment of Gastric Cancer: A Systematic Review

Background

Quality assurance is increasingly acknowledged as a crucial factor for the (surgical) treatment of gastric cancer. The purpose of the current study was to define a minimum set of evidence-based quality of care indicators for the surgical treatment of locally advanced gastric cancer.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature published between January 1990 and May 2011 was performed, using search terms on gastric cancer, treatment, and quality of care. Studies were selected based on predefined selection criteria. Potential quality of care indicators were assessed based on their level of evidence and were grouped into structure, process, and outcome indicators.

Results

A total of 173 articles were included in the current study. For structural measures, evidence was found for the inverse relationship between hospital volume and postoperative mortality as well as overall survival. Regarding process measures, the most common indicators concerned surgical technique, perioperative care, and multimodality treatment. The only outcome indicator with supporting evidence was a microscopically radical resection.

Conclusions

Although specific literature on quality of care indicators for the surgical treatment of locally advanced gastric cancer is limited, several quality of care indicators could be identified. These indicators can be used in clinical audits and other quality assurance programs.     

Outcomes Research in Surgical Oncology

Background: There have been significant developments and advances in the area of outcomes research in the past 25 years. Unfortunately, many surgical oncologists may not have a clear concept of outcomes research and the methodology involved.Methods: A literature-based review article was done that included an overview of outcomes research, and study design and types, outcome measures, outcome instruments, and sources of outcome data were examined. In addition, we reviewed small area variation(volume outcome analysis as well as quality-of-life studies and their applications in surgical oncology clinical investigation. Specific examples from surgical oncology were identified.Results: As the costs of health care have increased, so has the emphasis on measuring outcomes of medical and surgical care to determine the quality and appropriateness of care. Marked variations in a variety of outcomes after oncological procedures have been attributed to individual surgeon and institution characteristics. Because much of the clinical surgical oncology literature deals only with the traditional mortality and morbidity outcomes, a more comprehensive examination of patient outcomes is required to fully evaluate the impact of patient management decisions. Health-related quality of life can be measured and analyzed in several ways and decisions regarding the use of such methodology are dependent on multiple factors.Conclusions: Surgical oncologists should recognize that the true value of their interventions requires systematic and comprehensive examination of patient outcomes.     

Patient reported outcomes and their importance in the development of novel surgical techniques

Introduction. Although traditional quality measures such as morbidity and mortality outcomes still pay an important role in the assessment of health care quality, greater emphasis is now being placed on patient-reported outcome measures such as patient satisfaction. This area is especially important for novel surgical technologies such as single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) and natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). These new innovations are able to minimize or abolish surgical scarring and are likely to have most benefit in the area of patient satisfaction as opposed to traditional outcome measures. Therefore, it is important to gauge the public opinion regarding these new techniques, as continued public interest can help support further research in this up-and-coming field. Methods. A questionnaire study was carried out with members of the general public. Questions were asked regarding preference for surgical techniques, including open surgery, laparoscopic surgery, NOTES, and SILS, in the situation of acute appendicitis. Results. The questionnaire was completed by 1006 individuals. Results indicated that an established safety profile was necessary before the introduction of these new techniques into general practice. The concept of scarless surgery did appeal to the public, with SILS being the treatment of choice in the scenario of acute appendicitis. Discussion. The patient perspective on health care is an important aspect of health care quality assessment. This is especially important with regard to the development of novel surgical techniques such as SILS and NOTES. With these techniques, the potential benefits are most likely to be found in the realms of reduced scarring and improved patient satisfaction. The findings from this study demonstrate the public's interest in these new techniques and thus give further support to continued research and development in this area.     

Audit, quality control, and performance in thoracic surgery: a North American perspective

Although difficult to precisely define, health care quality is often measured by components of structure, outcomes, and process. One way for thoracic surgeons to evaluate their practices is to compare themselves with evidence-based national guidelines. Outcomes data are often generated from entries into large patient databases. The largest examples of these databases include the STS National Databases and the VA/ACS NSQIP programs. Each of these has unique features, but there is the common goal of enabling participants to examine their surgical outcomes and results relative to others. The data integrity of these databases is high. The new STS composite quality score for CABG combines providers' outcome and practice data into a calculated index for comparison with national averages. In addition to providing meaningful information regarding surgical outcomes and quality, these databases are used as the basis for risk-adjusted models to accurately predict surgical morbidity and mortality. These models can be used as auditing tools against which surgeon- and site-specific morbidity and mortality can be compared with predicted values. As practices and methods continue to evolve, measures of quality--and therefore quality itself--will continue to improve, resulting in better patient care.     

Peri-operative care considerations for primary total knee arthroplasty in the obese patient

In the United States an increasing obesity epidemic compounded with growth in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) utilization is increasing the incidence of TKA in the obese population. Arthroplasty surgeons are directly affected by the obesity epidemic and need to understand how to safely offer a range of peri-operative care for these patients in order to ensure good clinical outcomes. Preoperative care for the obese patient involves nutritional counseling, weight loss methods, consideration for bariatric surgery, physical therapy, metabolic workup with diagnosis, and management of frequent comorbid conditions. Obese patients must also be counseled on their increased risk of complications following TKA. A successful surgical result is dependent on early risk mitigation techniques including weight loss, co-morbidity management, and nutritional optimization. In the operating room several steps can be taken to improve successful outcomes when performing TKA on obese patients. Peri-operative techniques including adequate surgical exposure, component positioning, and implant selection play an important role in the longevity of the implant in the obese TKA population who are at risk for post-operative tibial loosening and increased re-operation rates. Appropriate weight-adjusted antibiotic dosing, sterile surgical techniques, wound closure and coverage are essential in reducing infection in this susceptible population. Post-operative care of the obese patient following TKA involves several unique considerations. Chronic pain and obesity are frequent comorbid conditions and post-operative pain control regimens need to be tailored to these patients to improve function and surgical outcome. Obese patients can have a higher rate of all complications compared to healthy weight. All infection and deep infection increased in obese patients and patients must be counseled on their risks pre-operatively to encourage an active role in risk mitigation in the peri-operative period.     

Pay for performance: rationale and potential implications for urology

PURPOSE: Pay for performance represents a new paradigm for physician reimbursement based on the value based purchasing of health care services. Government and private payers have expressed an interest in moving toward this system with several pay for performance programs already in place. The rationale behind this initiative and what it means for the practicing urologist are discussed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MEDLINE and Internet based research focusing on the topics of health care quality, measures used to implement pay for performance, and private and public sector experience with pay for performance to date were reviewed. RESULTS: Health care quality can be assessed through 3 types of measures, including structure, process and outcome. Structure measures involve the environment where services are provided, whereas process measures capture how a particular provider delivers health care. Outcome assessment involves the results of the services provided. These measures are best used when they are used in coordination with each other, and when they are risk adjusted. Most pay for performance systems in use today are based on these measures. However, there are little data that show whether this reimbursement paradigm actually improves the quality of heath care provided. CONCLUSIONS: Many questions remain regarding the implementation of a pay for performance system in the field of urology. Government and private payers are motivated to implement pay for performance. However, specific evidence based metrics for urology that fairly and accurately define quality are currently lacking. Given that implementation of a nationwide pay for performance system appears to be inevitable, urology involvement in the development and implementation of these health care quality metrics is essential.     

Advances in orthopaedic outcomes research

As the field of orthopaedic surgery continues to expand in terms of indications and technologies, there has been increasing emphasis placed on validated patient-derived outcome measures in clinical orthopaedic research. As concerns mount regarding rising health care costs, declining quality, and variability in clinical practice patterns, outcome measures become important tools in assessing quality. Furthermore, outcome measures can be utilized to justify the clinical benefits of existing and new diagnostic modalities and surgical interventions. This review provides a brief overview of traditional outcomes approaches in orthopaedics followed by a discussion of the current trend toward patient-centered outcomes research and its role in the emerging field of cost-effectiveness analysis in orthopaedics.     

根本原因分析法在控制骨科手术部位感染中的应用

【摘要】〓目的〓分析骨科手术部位感染危险因素,采取有效措施降低手术部位感染率。方法 采用根本原因分析方法对骨科手术部位感染相关危险因素进行分析,并采取相关措施,对比处理前后的干预效果。结果〓调查阶段共进行骨科手术578例,发生手术部位感染13例,感染率2.2%。干预阶段共进行骨科手术375例,发生手术部位感染2例,感染率0.5%。结论〓应用根本原因分析法干预可有效降低骨科手术部位感染的发生。     

THE VALIDITY OF SURGICAL WOUND INFECTION AS A CLINICAL INDICATOR IN AUSTRALIA

Background : Evidence-based medicine and measurement of outcome have become the foremost strategy of departments of health and quality care in Australia in the 1990s. The Australian Council of Healthcare Standards (ACHS), formed in 1974, has introduced a Clinical Indicators Programme which monitors a number of clinical outcomes, including rates of specific nosocomial infections. It is the only formal system in Australia which attempts to monitor nosocomial infection in hospitals, and the ACHS acknowledges that the data provided to them are collected using a variety of sources and definitions. Methods : The present study discusses the validity of the present definitions of nosocomial surgical wound infection used for accreditation, how validity may be improved and the attempts by some international systems to improve their own data. Results : The ACHS definitions of nosocomial surgical wound infection lack validity, and the rates provided lack generalizability. Several international surveillance systems have resources in place to provide members with standardized training for practitioners, and support for methodology, data analysis and reporting, which assists in improving the quality of the data collected. Conclusion : It is our belief that the validity of surgical wound infections will be improved by adoption of National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance (NNIS) definitions, stratification of surgical wound infections by anatomical site of infection for sentinel procedures. The ACHS system must adopt the proposed changes if the rates are to be used as a local and national indicator.     

Medidas de prevención de la infección de localización quirúrgica en cirugía general. Documento de posicionamiento de la Sección de Infección Quirúrgica de la Asociación Española de Cirujanos

Surgical site infection is associated with prolonged hospital stay and increased morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs, as well as a poorer patient quality of life. Many hospitals have adopted scientifically-validated guidelines for the prevention of surgical site infection. Most of these protocols have resulted in improved postoperative results. The Surgical Infection Division of the Spanish Association of Surgery conducted a critical review of the scientific evidence and the most recent international guidelines in order to select measures with the highest degree of evidence to be applied in Spanish surgical services. The best measures are: no removal or clipping of hair from the surgical field, skin decontamination with alcohol solutions, adequate systemic antibiotic prophylaxis (administration within 30-60 minutes before the incision in a single preoperative dose; intraoperative re-dosing when indicated), maintenance of normothermia and perioperative maintenance of glucose levels.     

Relationships between Volume, Efficiency, and Quality in Surgery — A Delicate Balance from Managerial Perspectives

Volume, efficiency, and quality in hospital care are often mixed in debate. We analyze how these dimensions are interrelated in surgical hospital management, with particular focus on volume effects: under financial constraints, efficiency is the best form of cost control. External perception of quality is important to attract patients and gain volumes. There are numerous explicit and implicit notions of surgical quality. The relevance of implicit criteria (functionality, reliability, consistency, customaziability, convenience) can change in the time course of hospital competition. Outcome data theoretically are optimal measures of quality, but surgical quality is multifactorially influenced by case mix, surgical technique, indication, process designs, organizational structures, and volume. As quality of surgery is hard to grade, implicit criteria such as customizability currently often overrule functionality (outcome) as the dominant market driver. Activities and volumes are inputs to produce quality. Capability does not translate to ability in a linear function. Adequate process design is important to realize efficiency and quality. Volumes of activities, degree of standardization, specialization, and customer involvement are relevant estimates for process design in services. Flow-orientated management focuses primarily on resource utilization and efficiency, not on surgical quality. The relationship between volume and outcome in surgery is imperfectly understood. Factors involve learning effects both on process efficiency and quality, increased standardization and task specialization, process flow homogeneity, and potential for process integration. Volume is a structural component to develop efficiency and quality. The specific capabilities and process characteristics that contribute to surgical outcome improvement should be defined and exported. Adequate focus should allow even small institutions to benefit from volume-associated effects. All volumes-based learning within standardized processes will finally lead to a plateauing of quality. Only innovations will then further improve quality. Possessing volume can set the optimal ground for continuous process research, subsequent change, innovation, and optimization, while volume itself appears not to be a quality prerequisite.     

Defining high quality health care

Most health care quality improvement efforts target measures of health care structures, processes, and/or outcomes. Structural measures examine relatively fixed aspects of health care delivery such as physical plant and human resources. Process measures, the focus of the largest proportion of quality improvement efforts, assess specific transactions in clinical-patient encounters, such as use of appropriate surgical antibiotic prophylaxis, which are expected to improve outcomes. Outcome measures, which comprise quality of life endpoints as well as morbidity and mortality, are of greatest interest to clinicians and patients, but entail the greatest complexity, as the majority of variance in outcomes is attributable to patient and environmental factors that may not be readily modifiable. Selecting among structure, process, and outcome measures for quality improvement efforts generally will be dictated by the specific clinical situation for which improvement is desired.One aspect of health care quality that has received a great deal of attention in recent years is the relationship between surgical volume and health outcomes. Volume, an inherent characteristic of a health care facility or provider, is generally considered a structural measure of quality. Many studies have demonstrated a positive association between volume and outcomes, and policymakers in the private and public sectors have begun to consider volume in certification and reimbursement decisions. The volume-outcome association is not without controversy, however. Most studies in the field are limited by the nature of the administrative data on which they are based, and some studies have found that variation in quality within volume quantiles exceeds differences between quantiles. Moreover, regionalization driven by a focus on volume may exert adverse effects on access to care.The movement for health care quality improvement faces substantial methodological, clinical, financial, and political challenges. Despite these challenges, it is a movement that is gaining momentum, and the emphasis on quality in health care delivery is likely only to increase in the future. It is crucial, therefore, that physicians assume increasing leadership roles in efforts to define, measure, report, and improve quality of care.     

Should compliance with the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) process measures determine Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates?

The Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) is a project that focuses on improving surgical care by reducing surgical morbidity and mortality by 25 per cent by 2010. Starting in 2011, SCIP compliance affects Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates. Although SCIP reinforces better practices in surgical care, does compliance with SCIP measures actually result in a decrease in surgical morbidity and mortality? This study examined compliance with the SCIP surgical site infection (SSI) module (prophylactic antibiotic received within 1 hour before surgical incision) during 2009 to 2010 (n = 703) to determine whether patients compliant with SCIP data had a correlation with SSI rates as reported by National Surgery Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) data for the same time period. We found no statistically significant association in patients that have failed SCIP INF1 in the years 2009 to 2010 (n = 43) and the rates of SSI (n = 0) for the same time period. These data suggest that SCIP compliance should not be used to determine Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates because there is no correlation between failure of SCIP INF1 and SSI. Instead, further effort should be placed on developing tools designed to acknowledge outcome measures that result in decreased morbidity/mortality and change practices accordingly such as NSQIP.     

Emotional and sexual concerns in women undergoing pelvic surgery and associated treatment for gynecologic cancer

The surgical management of gynecologic cancer can cause short- and long-term effects on sexuality, emotional well being, reproductive function, and overall quality of life (QoL). Fortunately, innovative approaches developed over the past several decades have improved oncologic outcomes and reduced treatment sequelae; however, these side effects of treatment are still prevalent. In this article, we provide an overview of the various standard-of-care pelvic surgeries and multimodality cancer treatments (chemotherapy and radiation therapy) by anatomic site and highlight the potential emotional and sexual consequences that can influence cancer survivorship and QoL. Potential screening tools that can be used in clinical practice to identify some of these concerns and treatment side effects and possible solutions are also provided. These screening tools include brief assessments that can be used in the clinical care setting to assist in the identification of problematic issues throughout the continuum of care. This optimizes quality of care, and ultimately, QoL in these women. Prospective clinical trials with gynecologic oncology populations should include patient-reported outcomes to identify subgroups at risk for difficulties during and following treatment for early intervention.     

Surgical site infection and malignant soft tissue tumors

A recent publication on surgical site infection and malignant soft tissue tumors is very interesting. Morii et al. [1] concluded, “Surgical site infections remain a critical and frequent complication of surgical treatment of soft-tissue malignancies and often result in prolongation of hospital stay.” Indeed, wound care seems to be an important factor for controlling wound infection. Any infection might imply poor infection control by the hospital. The reported incidence of 7 % is considerably high, but does not vary greatly from that reported for general orthopedics patients [2]. A good continuous infection control program should be established in order to control the problem. Reevaluation and revision of the program for continuous quality improvement are suggested [3].     

Measuring quality of life after surgery

Measures of quality of life are used increasingly to evaluate the outcome of surgical care. Impairment in quality of life is a major reason why patients seek surgical care, and changes in health-related quality of life are how patients assess the effect of treatment. Disease-specific measures focus on a particular health condition and are useful for detecting change resulting from treatment. Generic measures cover a wider spectrum of quality of life, provide a global assessment of a patient's overall health, and allow comparisons with other health conditions. Quality of life is not measured directly but is commonly sampled by using measurement scales in the form of questionnaires. The important properties of quality-of-life measurement scales are reliability, the extent to which a measure provides similar values for individuals with similar underlying quality of life; validity, the extent to which it measures what it purports to measure; responsiveness, the extent to which changes in correlate with true changes in quality of life; and sensitivity, the extent to which a measure can detect meaningful changes in quality of life.     

Outcome measures in burn care. Is mortality dead?

Health care systems constantly struggle with ways to provide higher quality care in a cost-effective manner. Outcome measures serve to evaluate what works and what does not. Whether they are used for research or for the improvement of clinical practice, they are as such, efficiency markers and the first step in determining the consequences of health care. The accomplishments of the past decade have placed us in the midst of an exciting paradigm shift from what used to be primary concern (i.e. mortality), to areas that are more likely to enhance the quality of life of burn survivors. Optimal management of severely burned persons is enormously expensive, and even after survival is ensured, may require a protracted period of surgical, medical and psychological rehabilitative measures for many years. This article aims to review the outcome measures in the acute phase of burn management (mortality and morbidity from the post-burn hypermetabolic response). We further discuss long-term outcome measures (such as, quality of life measures, exercise tolerance and evaluation of return to pre-burn activities) that are now becoming of equal importance as the numbers of burn survivors increase.