- What are surgical outcome reports?
- Why review outcome reports?
- Why choose Stanford for cardiac care?
- View Surgical Outcome Reports
- Other Stanford Cardiovascular Services
What are surgical outcome reports?
In an effort to improve the quality of healthcare, California hospitals are required by law to submit data on all isolated coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures, which is analyzed to publicly report on measures of CABG surgery quality. Such measures include operative mortality (deaths as a result of surgery), risk-adjusted mortality rate (a measure of the mortality rate for an individual hospital compared to the average of a larger group of hospitals), and case volumes (number of procedures performed per year).
In addition, Stanford strives to closely monitor its outcome data for the other complex surgical procedures performed and voluntarily submits its clinical surgical data to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) National Adult Cardiac Surgery Database. This allows the surgical team to continually compare outcomes on all types of surgical procedures with hospitals nationwide. The combination of clinical data collected and STS national outcome reports is used to continually monitor performance and drive opportunities for outcomes improvement.
Together, these statistics are compiled in report form to assist healthcare consumers, referring physicians, and healthcare insurers compare and choose the most qualified hospitals based upon their surgical needs. View Surgical Outcome Reports »
Why review outcome reports?
Choosing a qualified hospital can be a daunting task, especially in conjunction with the added burden of illness. Healthcare consumers are bombarded by the media with articles and reports touting excellent and innovative care provided by hospitals nationwide. But how do consumers determine which healthcare provider will truly meet their critical and diverse needs? Outcome reports provide objective numerical proof as opposed to subjective and potentially self-serving accolades. “The proof is in the pudding,” and outcome reports provide true reflections of quality and value that other, less factual reporting methods may not.
Why choose Stanford for cardiac care?
We at the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Stanford School of Medicine know that every patient is unique and deserving of the best possible care. Our outcome reports consistently reflect our dedication to exceeding national standards of excellence as well as our commitment to best serve our patients.
Blue Shield of California has designated Stanford Hospital & Clinics as a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care, a distinction by BlueCross and BlueShield companies signifying that our hospital has demonstrated our commitment to quality care, resulting in better overall outcomes for cardiac patients. Stanford Hospital & Clinics meets evidence-based clinical criteria, developed by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association in collaboration with expert physicians’ and medical organizations, including the American College of Cardiology and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and is subject to periodic re-evaluation as criteria continue to evolve.
Additionally, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has recently developed a comprehensive rating system that allows for comparisons regarding the quality of cardiac surgery among hospitals across the country. Approximately 14% of hospitals receive the “3 star” rating, which denotes the highest category of quality. In the current analysis of national data covering the period from January to December 2008, the cardiac surgery performance of our hospital was found to lie in the highest quality tier, thereby receiving an STS 3 star rating.
United Healthcare has also awarded Stanford Medical Center with the UnitedHealth Premium Cardiac Specialty Center “Three Stars” and “Higher Efficiency” designations, signifying that our facilities offer quantifiable quality and cost-effective cardiac procedures and cardiac care services. Participation in this program is voluntary, and to be considered for this designation, hospitals must complete a survey and submit outcomes data to the American College of Cardiology and/or the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Surveys are evaluated on an ongoing basis, and the current designation period began in September 2007 and runs through September 2009.
View Surgical Outcome Reports »
