HPCI News: The Difference Between Life and Death for High-risk Surgeries
To: Members and others
A new report shows alarming variation in the survival rates for high-risk surgeries in the U.S. See highlights below. Consumers are encouraged to check their local hospitals' performance on these high-risk procedures, as the data on survival rates enables patients to gage their likelihood of surviving each procedure at a given hospital. More information is available upon request.
The Leapfrog Group just released its High-risk Surgeries report, an in-depth examination of survival rates for four high-risk procedures--pancreatectomy, esophagectomy, abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), and aortic valve replacement (AVR).
This nationwide analysis shows that across U.S. hospitals, the survival rates for four high-risk procedures varies significantly and that most hospitals surveyed do not meet Leapfrog's standard for each procedure. The results demonstrate that the choice of hospital for these operations can mean the difference between life and death.
The High-risk Surgeries Report is the second in a series of six reports examining key quality and safety measures at hospitals nationwide based on data from the 2014 Leapfrog Hospital Survey of 1,501 U.S. hospitals, with analysis provided by Castlight Health. Future publications in the report series will all be available on Leapfrog Group website.
Paul M. Pietzsch, MPH
HPCI - IHBA Office
4430 Ashley Park Drive
West Des Moines, Iowa 50265
(515) 778-6300