AHRQ Patient Safety Network ► Surgeon-specific mortality data disguise wider failings in delivery of safe surgical services.

AHRQ Patient Safety Network



Surgeon-specific mortality data disguise wider failings in delivery of safe surgical services.

Westaby S, De Silva R, Petrou M, Bond S, Taggart D. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2014 Oct 29; [Epub ahead of print].

This chart review study found that most perioperative deaths were not due to surgical error and advocates for focusing on failure to rescue rather than surgeon-specific mortality data in public reporting. The authors believe that emphasizing failure to rescue can promote a systems approach to reduce surgical mortality rates.

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