Key result
Treatment at higher-volume hospitals is linked to lower mortality for intact AAA and hip fracture.
Why the study?
Does treatment in hospitals with higher case volume reduce the probability of death in patients with intact abdominal aortic aneurysm and hip fracture?
Observational
Yes
Does treatment in hospitals with higher case volume reduce the probability of death in patients with intact abdominal aortic aneurysm and hip fracture?
Higher hospital case volumes are associated with a significantly lower probability of death for patients with intact abdominal aortic aneurysm and hip fracture, without compromising access to care.
Should not yet alter referral patterns; leaves open whether volume-based regionalization improves survival in prospective trials.
For decades, there is an ongoing discussion about the quality of hospital care leading i.a. to the introduction of minimum volume standards in various countries. In this paper, we analyze the volume-outcome relationship for patients with intact abdominal aortic aneurysm and hip fracture. We define hypothetical minimum volume standards in both conditions and assess consequences for access to hospital services in Germany. The results show clearly that patients treated in hospitals with a higher case volume have on average a significant lower probability of death in both conditions. Furthermore, we show that the hypothetical minimum volume standards do not compromise overall access measured with changes in travel times.
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Hentschker et al. (2014) conducted an observational in Intact abdominal aortic aneurysm and hip fracture. Higher hospital case volume vs. Lower hospital case volume was evaluated on Probability of death. Treatment in hospitals with higher case volumes was associated with a significantly lower probability of death for intact abdominal aortic aneurysm and hip fracture, without compromising access.
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