Public reporting of surgeon outcomes: Low numbers of procedures lead to false complacency

Kate Walker; Jenny Neuburger; Oliver Groene; David A. Cromwell; Jan Van Der Meulen

doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61491-9

Public reporting of surgeon outcomes

Low numbers of procedures lead to false complacency

Kate Walker, Jenny Neuburger, Oliver Groene, David A. Cromwell, Jan Van Der Meulen

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

83 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The English National Health Service published outcome information for individual surgeons for ten specialties in June, 2013. We looked at whether individual surgeons do suffi cient numbers of procedures to be able to reliably identify those with poor performance. For some specialties, the number of procedures that a surgeon does each year is low and, as a result, the chance of identifying a surgeon with increased mortality rates is also low. Therefore, public reporting of individual surgeons' outcomes could lead to false complacency. We recommend use of outcomes that are fairly frequent, considering the hospital as the unit of reporting when numbers are low, and avoiding interpretation of no evidence of poor performance as evidence of acceptable performance.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1674-1677
Number of pages	4
Journal	The Lancet
Volume	382
Issue number	9905
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61491-9
Publication status	Published - 2013
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

A correction for this article exists in the Lancet, vol. 382, issue 9905, p. 1628. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61537-8

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abstract = "The English National Health Service published outcome information for individual surgeons for ten specialties in June, 2013. We looked at whether individual surgeons do suffi cient numbers of procedures to be able to reliably identify those with poor performance. For some specialties, the number of procedures that a surgeon does each year is low and, as a result, the chance of identifying a surgeon with increased mortality rates is also low. Therefore, public reporting of individual surgeons' outcomes could lead to false complacency. We recommend use of outcomes that are fairly frequent, considering the hospital as the unit of reporting when numbers are low, and avoiding interpretation of no evidence of poor performance as evidence of acceptable performance.",

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AU - Cromwell, David A.

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