Thomas C. Tsai

Variation in Surgical-Readmission Rates and Quality of Hospital Care

BACKGROUND Reducing hospital-readmission rates is a clinical and policy priority, but little is known about variation in rates of readmission after major surgery and whether these rates at a given hospital are related to other markers of the quality of surgical care. METHODS Using national Medicare data, we calculated 30-day readmission rates after hospitalization for coronary-artery bypass grafting, pulmonary lobectomy, endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm, open repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm, colectomy, and hip replacement. We used bivariate and multivariate techniques to assess the relationships between readmission rates and other measures of surgical quality, including adherence to surgical process measures, procedure volume, and mortality. RESULTS For the six index procedures, there were 479,471 discharges from 3004 hospitals. The median risk-adjusted composite readmission rate at 30 days was 13.1% (interquartile range, 9.9 to 17.1). In a multivariate model adjusting for hospital characteristics, we found that hospitals in the highest quartile for surgical volume had a significantly lower composite readmission rate than hospitals in the lowest quartile (12.7% vs. 16.8%, P<0.001), and hospitals with the lowest surgical mortality rates had a significantly lower readmission rate than hospitals with the highest mortality rates (13.3% vs. 14.2%, P<0.001). High adherence to reported surgical process measures was only marginally associated with reduced readmission rates (highest quartile vs. lowest quartile, 13.1% vs. 13.6%; P=0.02). Patterns were similar when each of the six major surgical procedures was examined individually. CONCLUSIONS Nearly one in seven patients hospitalized for a major surgical procedure is readmitted to the hospital within 30 days after discharge. Hospitals with high surgical volume and low surgical mortality have lower rates of surgical readmission than other hospitals.

Underlying Reasons Associated With Hospital Readmission Following Surgery in the United States

IMPORTANCE Financial penalties for readmission have been expanded beyond medical conditions to include surgical procedures. Hospitals are working to reduce readmissions; however, little is known about the reasons for surgical readmission. OBJECTIVE To characterize the reasons, timing, and factors associated with unplanned postoperative readmissions. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Patients undergoing surgery at one of 346 continuously enrolled US hospitals participating in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2012, had clinically abstracted information examined. Readmission rates and reasons (ascertained by clinical data abstractors at each hospital) were assessed for all surgical procedures and for 6 representative operations: bariatric procedures, colectomy or proctectomy, hysterectomy, total hip or knee arthroplasty, ventral hernia repair, and lower extremity vascular bypass. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Unplanned 30-day readmission and reason for readmission. RESULTS The unplanned readmission rate for the 498,875 operations was 5.7%. For the individual procedures, the readmission rate ranged from 3.8% for hysterectomy to 14.9% for lower extremity vascular bypass. The most common reason for unplanned readmission was surgical site infection (SSI) overall (19.5%) and also after colectomy or proctectomy (25.8%), ventral hernia repair (26.5%), hysterectomy (28.8%), arthroplasty (18.8%), and lower extremity vascular bypass (36.4%). Obstruction or ileus was the most common reason for readmission after bariatric surgery (24.5%) and the second most common reason overall (10.3%), after colectomy or proctectomy (18.1%), ventral hernia repair (16.7%), and hysterectomy (13.4%). Only 2.3% of patients were readmitted for the same complication they had experienced during their index hospitalization. Only 3.3% of patients readmitted for SSIs had experienced an SSI during their index hospitalization. There was no time pattern for readmission, and early (≤7 days postdischarge) and late (>7 days postdischarge) readmissions were associated with the same 3 most common reasons: SSI, ileus or obstruction, and bleeding. Patient comorbidities, index surgical admission complications, non-home discharge (hazard ratio [HR], 1.40 [95% CI, 1.35-1.46]), teaching hospital status (HR, 1.14 [95% CI 1.07-1.21]), and higher surgical volume (HR, 1.15 [95% CI, 1.07-1.25]) were associated with a higher risk of hospital readmission. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Readmissions after surgery were associated with new postdischarge complications related to the procedure and not exacerbation of prior index hospitalization complications, suggesting that readmissions after surgery are a measure of postdischarge complications. These data should be considered when developing quality indicators and any policies penalizing hospitals for surgical readmission.

Massive Transfusion Protocols: The Role of Aggressive Resuscitation Versus Product Ratio in Mortality Reduction

BACKGROUND Exsanguinating hemorrhage necessitating massive blood product transfusion is associated with high mortality rates. Recent data suggest that altering the fresh frozen plasma to packed red blood cell ratio (FFP:PRBC) results in significant mortality reductions. Our purpose was to evaluate mortality and blood product use in the context of a newly initiated massive transfusion protocol (MTP). STUDY DESIGN In July 2005, our American College of Surgeons-verified Level I trauma center implemented an MTP supporting a 1:1.5 FFP:PRBC ratio, improved communications, and enhanced systems flow to optimize rapid blood product availability. During the 4 years surrounding protocol implementation, we reviewed data on trauma patients directly admitted through the emergency department and requiring 10 or more units PRBCs during the first 24 hours. RESULTS For the 2 years before and subsequent to MTP initiation, there were 4,223 and 4,414 trauma activations, of which 40 and 37 patients, respectively, met study criteria. The FFP:PRBC ratios were identical, at 1:1.8 and 1:1.8 (p = 0.97). Despite no change in FFP:PRBC ratio, mortality decreased from 45% to 19% (p = 0.02). Other significant findings included decreased mean time to first product: cross-matched RBCs (115 to 71 minutes; p = 0.02), FFP (254 to 169 minutes; p = 0.04), and platelets (418 to 241 minutes; p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS MTP implementation is associated with mortality reductions that have been ascribed principally to increased plasma use and decreased FFP:PRBC ratios. Our study found a significant reduction in mortality despite unchanged FFP:PRBC ratios and equivalent overall mean numbers of transfusions. Our data underscore the importance of expeditious product availability and emphasize that massive transfusion is a complex process in which product ratio and time to transfusion represent only the beginning of understanding.

Patient satisfaction and quality of surgical care in US hospitals.

OBJECTIVE The relationship between patient satisfaction and surgical quality is unclear for US hospitals. Using national data, we examined if hospitals with high patient satisfaction have lower levels of performance on accepted measures of the quality and efficiency of surgical care. BACKGROUND Federal policymakers have made patient satisfaction a core measure for the way hospitals are evaluated and paid through the value-based purchasing program. There is broad concern that performance on patient satisfaction may have little or even a negative correlation with the quality of surgical care, leading to potential trade-offs in efforts to improve patient experience with other surgical quality measures. METHODS We used the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey data from 2010 and 2011 to assess performance on patient experience. We used national Medicare data on 6 common surgical procedures to calculate measures of surgical efficiency and quality: risk-adjusted length of stay, process score, risk-adjusted mortality rate, risk-adjusted readmission rate, and a composite z score across all 4 metrics. Multivariate models adjusting for hospital characteristics were used to assess the independent relationships between patient satisfaction and measures of surgical efficiency and quality. RESULTS Of the 2953 US hospitals that perform one of these 6 procedures, the median patient satisfaction score was 69.5% (interquartile range, 63%-75.5%). Length of stay was shorter in hospitals with the highest levels of patient satisfaction (7.1 days vs 7.7 days, P < 0.001). Adjusting for procedural volume and structural characteristics, institutions in the highest quartile of patient satisfaction had the higher process of care performance (96.5 vs 95.5, P < 0.001), lower readmission rates (12.3% vs 13.6%, P < 0.001), and lower mortality (3.1% vs 3.6%) than those in the lowest quartile. Hospitals with high patient satisfaction also had a higher composite score for quality across all measures (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Among US hospitals that perform major surgical procedures, hospitals with high patient satisfaction provided more efficient care and were associated with higher surgical quality. Our findings suggest there need not be a trade-off between good quality of care for surgical patients and ensuring a positive patient experience.

Role of age in acute type A aortic dissection outcome: report from the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (IRAD).

OBJECTIVE The increasing life expectancy of the population will likely be accompanied by a rise in the incidence of acute type A aortic dissection. However, because of an increased risk of cardiac surgery in an elderly population, it is important to define when, if at all, the risks of aortic repair outweigh the risk of death from unoperated type A aortic dissection. METHODS We analyzed 936 patients with type A aortic dissection enrolled in the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection from 1996 to 2004. Patients with type A aortic dissection were categorized according to patient age by decade and by surgical versus medical management, and outcomes of both management types were investigated in the different age groups. RESULTS The rate of surgical aortic repair decreased progressively with age, whereas surgical mortality significantly increased with age. Age 70 years or more was an independent predictor for mortality (38.2% vs 26.0%; P < .0001, odds ratio 1.73). The in-hospital mortality rate was significantly lower after surgical management compared with medical management until the age of 80 years. For patients aged 80 to 90 years, the in-hospital mortality appeared to be lower after surgical management (37.9% vs 55.2%; P = .188); however, this failed to reach clinical significance owing to the limited patient number in this age group. CONCLUSIONS Although the surgical mortality significantly increased with increased age, surgical management was still associated with significantly lower in-hospital mortality rates compared with medical management until the age of 80 years. Surgery may decrease the in-hospital mortality rate for octogenarians with type A aortic dissection and might be considered in all patients with type A aortic dissection regardless of age.

Care Fragmentation in the Postdischarge Period: Surgical Readmissions, Distance of Travel, and Postoperative Mortality

IMPORTANCE Despite policies aimed at incentivizing clinical integration, few data exist on whether fragmentation of care is associated with worse outcomes for elderly patients undergoing major surgery. OBJECTIVE To determine whether postdischarge surgical care fragmentation is associated with worse outcomes and whether distances between hospitals explain differences in patient outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS We used the 100% Medicare inpatient file for claims from January 1, 2009, through November 30, 2011. Data on hospital structural features, including zip code of location, were obtained from the 2011 American Hospital Association Annual Survey. We identified patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting, pulmonary lobectomy, endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, colectomy, and hip replacement. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Thirty-day surgical mortality. RESULTS A total of 93 062 patients who underwent the surgical procedures of interest were subsequently readmitted within 30 days of discharge; 23 278 of these patients (25.0%) were readmitted to a hospital other than the one where their procedure was performed. Patients who were readmitted to a different hospital generally lived farther from the index hospital than those who were readmitted to the index hospital (20.7 vs 7.4 miles, P < .001). We found large state-level variations in the proportion of surgical patients who were readmitted elsewhere. Patients readmitted to a different hospital that was the same distance from their home as the index hospital had 48% higher odds of mortality (odds ratio, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.24-1.78; P < .001) than patients who were admitted to the index hospital. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Of older US patients undergoing major surgery, 1 in 4 is readmitted to a hospital other than the one where the initial operation was performed. Even taking distance traveled into account, postsurgical care fragmentation is associated with a substantially higher risk of death. Focusing on clinical integration may improve outcomes for older US patients undergoing complex surgery.

Hospital Board And Management Practices Are Strongly Related To Hospital Performance On Clinical Quality Metrics

National policies to improve health care quality have largely focused on clinical provider outcomes and, more recently, payment reform. Yet the association between hospital leadership and quality, although crucial to driving quality improvement, has not been explored in depth. We collected data from surveys of nationally representative groups of hospitals in the United States and England to examine the relationships among hospital boards, management practices of front-line managers, and the quality of care delivered. First, we found that hospitals with more effective management practices provided higher-quality care. Second, higher-rated hospital boards had superior performance by hospital management staff. Finally, we identified two signatures of high-performing hospital boards and management practice. Hospitals with boards that paid greater attention to clinical quality had management that better monitored quality performance. Similarly, we found that hospitals with boards that used clinical quality metrics more effectively had higher performance by hospital management staff on target setting and operations. These findings help increase understanding of the dynamics among boards, front-line management, and quality of care and could provide new targets for improving care delivery.

Medicare’s Bundled Payment Initiative: Most Hospitals Are Focused On A Few High-Volume Conditions

The Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative is a federally funded innovation model mandated by the Affordable Care Act. It is designed to help transition Medicare away from fee-for-service payments and toward bundling a single payment for an episode of acute care in a hospital and related postacute care in an appropriate setting. While results from the initiative will not be available for several years, current data can help provide critical early insights. However, little is known about the participating organizations and how they are focusing their efforts. We identified participating hospitals and used national Medicare claims data to assess their characteristics and previous spending patterns. These hospitals are mostly large, nonprofit, teaching hospitals in the Northeast, and they have selectively enrolled in the bundled payment initiative covering patient conditions with high clinical volumes. We found no significant differences in episode-based spending between participating and nonparticipating hospitals. Postacute care explains the largest variation in overall episode-based spending, signaling an opportunity to align incentives across providers. However, the focus on a few selected clinical conditions and the high degree of integration that already exists between enrolled hospitals and postacute care providers may limit the generalizability of bundled payment across the Medicare system.

Hospital Consolidation, Competition, and Quality: Is Bigger Necessarily Better?

A wave of hospital mergers during the last several years has raised concerns among US policy makers, regulators, and employers that increasing market consolidation may lead to higher health care spending as larger systems with greater market power extract higher prices from private payers. The number of hospital mergers or acquisitions has doubled since 2009, and many observers have pointed to the Affordable Care Act for transforming the economics of health care in ways that incentivize the creation of larger hospital systems.1 Although regulators are concerned about the effects of consolidation on health care prices, hospitals seeking to merge argue that larger, integrated systems will be able to provide substantially better care and achieve greater efficiencies.2 Whether these benefits result from consolidation is unclear. As federal regulators and policy makers weigh these issues, an assessment of the arguments that underlie the consolidation of the medical marketplace, and the potential influence of these arguments on clinical care

Rethinking Priorities: Cost of Complications After Elective Colectomy.

Objective: To compare incremental costs associated with complications of elective colectomy using nationally representative data among patients undergoing laparoscopic/open resections for the 4 most frequent diagnoses. Summary Background Data: Rising healthcare costs have led to increasing focus on the need to achieve a better understanding of the association between costs and quality. Among elective colectomies, a focus of surgical quality-improvement initiatives, interpretable evidence to support existing approaches is lacking. Methods: The 2009 to 2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data were queried for adult (≥18 years) patients undergoing elective colectomy. Patients with primary diagnoses for colon cancer, diverticular disease, benign colonic neoplasm, and ulcerative colitis/regional enteritis were included. Based on system-based complications considered relevant to long-term treatment of elective colectomy, stratified differences in risk-adjusted incremental hospital costs and complications probabilities were compared. Results: A total of 68,462 patients were included, weighted to represent 337,887 patients nationwide. A total of 16.4% experienced complications. Annual risk-adjusted incremental costs amounted to >