Key result
Higher hospital caseload is linked to worse one-year survival and inconsistent care quality.
Why the study?
Better outcomes for rectal cancer have been associated with increasing surgeon and hospital caseload, but the relationship to quality of care is less clear.
Does surgeon and hospital caseload affect the quality of care and survival in patients undergoing rectal cancer surgery?
Observational (n=581)
Yes
Does surgeon and hospital caseload affect the quality of care and survival in patients undergoing rectal cancer surgery?
Surgeon and hospital caseload has an inconsistent relationship with quality of care measures in rectal cancer surgery.
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Inconsistent caseload-quality associations in rectal cancer surgery urge caution on volume-based centralization; leaves open whether caseload reliably captures care quality.
Comber et al. (2012) conducted an observational in Rectal cancer (n=581). Surgeon and hospital caseload vs. Lower caseload was evaluated on Quality of care measures and one-year survival. Surgeon and hospital caseload had an inconsistent relationship with quality of care measures, and one-year survival was negatively associated with hospital caseload.
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