Key result
Physician-authored surgical protocols yield a ~1% complication rate and low mortality in elective procedures.
Why the study?
Surgeons face increasing pressure to demonstrate patient safety data that meet or exceed benchmark standards, necessitating objective outcome tracking and quality improvement.
Does the implementation of physician-authored protocols improve safety and cost outcomes in elective surgical procedures?
Population
16,028 elective operations by 66 surgical specialists across 15 hospitals
Comparison
Physician-authored protocols vs benchmark institutions or databases
Design
Observational cohort study
Follow-up
4 years (1999–2002)
Authors
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Low rates with physician protocols may support adoption in elective surgery; leaves open causal effects on quality and costs.
Observational (n=16,028)
Yes
Does the implementation of physician-authored protocols improve safety and cost outcomes in elective surgical procedures?
Implementation of simple physician-authored protocols across multiple hospitals can achieve low complication and death rates while identifying areas for cost reduction in elective surgery.
Shively et al. (2004) conducted an observational in Elective surgery (n=16,028). Physician-authored surgical protocols vs. Benchmark institutions or databases was evaluated on Complications. Physician-authored protocols for elective surgery across 16,028 operations resulted in a 1.4% complication rate and 0.05% death rate, identifying multiple areas for cost and quality improvement.
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