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Screening colonoscopy effectiveness depends on procedure quality; however, knowledge about colonoscopy quality in rural and underserved areas is limited. This study aimed to describe the characteristics and quality of colonoscopy and to examine predictors of colonoscopy quality at rural and underserved hospitals. Adults undergoing colonoscopy from April 2017 to March 2019 at rural or underserved hospitals across the Illinois Surgical Quality Improvement Collaborative were prospectively identified. The primary outcome was colorectal adenoma detection, and secondary outcomes included bowel preparation adequacy, cecum photodocumentation, and withdrawal time. Performance was benchmarked against multisociety guidelines, and multivariable logistic regression was used to examine patient, physician, and procedure characteristics associated with adenoma detection. In total, 4217 colonoscopy procedures were performed at 8 hospitals, including 1865 screening examinations performed by 19 surgeons, 9 gastroenterologists, and 2 family practitioners. Physician screening volume ranged from 2 to 218 procedures (median 50; IQR 23–74). Adenoma detection occurred in 26.6% of screening procedures (target: ≥ 25%), 90.7% had adequate bowel preparation (target: ≥ 85%), 93.1% had cecum photodocumentation (target: ≥ 95%), and mean withdrawal time was 8.1 min (target: ≥ 6). Physician specialty was associated with adenoma detection (gastroenterologists: 36.9% vs. surgeons: 22.5%; OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.40–3.77), but adequate bowel preparation (OR 1.15, 95% CI 0.76–1.73) and cecum photodocumentation (OR 1.56, 95% CI 0.91–2.69) were not. Colonoscopies performed at rural and underserved hospitals meet many quality metrics; however, quality varied widely. As physicians are scarce in rural and underserved areas, individualized interventions to improve colonoscopy quality are needed.

Screening colonoscopy effectiveness depends on procedure quality; however, knowledge about colonoscopy quality in rural and underserved areas is limited. This study aimed to describe the characteristics and quality of colonoscopy and to examine predictors of colonoscopy quality at rural and underserved hospitals.Adults undergoing colonoscopy from April 2017 to March 2019 at rural or underserved hospitals across the Illinois Surgical Quality Improvement Collaborative were prospectively identified. The primary outcome was colorectal adenoma detection, and secondary outcomes included bowel preparation adequacy, cecum photodocumentation, and withdrawal time. Performance was benchmarked against multisociety guidelines, and multivariable logistic regression was used to examine patient, physician, and procedure characteristics associated with adenoma detection.In total, 4217 colonoscopy procedures were performed at 8 hospitals, including 1865 screening examinations performed by 19 surgeons, 9 gastroenterologists, and 2 family practitioners. Physician screening volume ranged from 2 to 218 procedures (median 50; IQR 23-74). Adenoma detection occurred in 26.6% of screening procedures (target: ≥ 25%), 90.7% had adequate bowel preparation (target: ≥ 85%), 93.1% had cecum photodocumentation (target: ≥ 95%), and mean withdrawal time was 8.1 min (target: ≥ 6). Physician specialty was associated with adenoma detection (gastroenterologists: 36.9% vs. surgeons: 22.5%; OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.40-3.77), but adequate bowel preparation (OR 1.15, 95% CI 0.76-1.73) and cecum photodocumentation (OR 1.56, 95% CI 0.91-2.69) were not.Colonoscopies performed at rural and underserved hospitals meet many quality metrics; however, quality varied widely. As physicians are scarce in rural and underserved areas, individualized interventions to improve colonoscopy quality are needed.

Importance Differences in medical school experiences may affect how prepared residents feel themselves to be as they enter general surgery residency and may contribute to resident burnout. Objectives To assess preparedness for surgical residency, to identify factors associated with preparedness, to examine the association between preparedness and burnout, and to explore resident and faculty perspectives on resident preparedness. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study used convergent mixed-methods analysis of data from a survey of US general surgery residents delivered at the time of the 2017 American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (January 26 to 31, 2017) in conjunction with qualitative interviews of residents and program directors conducted as part of the Flexibility in Duty Hour Requirements for Surgical Trainees (FIRST) trial. A total of 262 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education–approved US general surgery residency programs participated. Survey data were collected from 3693 postgraduate year (PGY) 1 and PGY2 surgical residents (response rate, 99%) and 98 interviews were conducted with residents and faculty from September 1 to December 15, 2018. Data were analyzed from June 1, 2017, to February 15, 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures Hierarchical regression models were developed to examine factors associated with preparedness and to assess the association between preparedness and resident burnout. Qualitative interviews were conducted to identify themes associated with preparation for residency. Results Of the 3693 PGY1 and PGY2 residents who participated (2258 male [61.1%]), 1775 (48.1%) reported feeling unprepared for residency. Approximately half of surgery residents took overnight call infrequently (≤2 per month) during their core medical student clerkship (1904 [51.6%]) or their subinternship (1600 [43.3%]); 524 (14.2%) took no call during their core clerkship. In multivariable analysis, residents were more likely to report feeling unprepared for residency if they were female (odds ratio [OR], 1.34; 95% CI, 1.15-1.57) or did not take call as a medical student (OR for 0 vs >4 calls, 2.72; 95% CI, 2.10-3.52). Residents who did not complete a subinternship were less likely to report feeling prepared for residency (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.48-0.96). Feeling adequately prepared for residency was associated with a nearly 2-fold lower risk of experiencing burnout symptoms (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.48-0.68). In interviews, the dominant themes associated with preparedness included the following: (1) various regulations limit the medical school experience, (2) overnight call facilitates preparation and selection of a specialty compatible with their preferences, and (3) adequate perceptions of residency improve expectations, resulting in improved preparedness, lower burnout rates, and lower risk of attrition. Conclusions and Relevance In this cross-sectional study, the perception of feeling unprepared was associated with inadequate exposure to resident responsibilities while in medical school. These findings suggest that effective preparation of medical students for residency may result in lower rates of subsequent burnout.

IMPORTANCE: Hospital safety culture remains a critical consideration when seeking to reduce medical errors and improve quality of care. Little is known regarding whether participation in a comprehensive, multicomponent, statewide quality collaborative is associated with changes in hospital safety culture. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether implementation of a comprehensive, multicomponent, statewide surgical quality improvement collaborative is associated with changes in hospital safety culture. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In this survey study, the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire, a 56-item validated survey covering 6 culture domains (teamwork, safety, operating room safety, working conditions, perceptions of management, and employee engagement), was administered to a random sample of physicians, nurses, operating room staff, administrators, and leaders across Illinois hospitals to assess hospital safety culture prior to launching a new statewide quality collaborative in 2015 and then again in 2017. The final analysis included 1024 respondents from 36 diverse hospitals, including major academic, community, and rural centers, enrolled in ISQIC (Illinois Surgical Quality Improvement Collaborative). EXPOSURES: Participation in a comprehensive, multicomponent statewide surgical quality improvement collaborative. Key components included enrollment in a common standardized data registry, formal quality and process improvement training, participation in collaborative-wide quality improvement projects, funding support for local projects, and guidance provided by surgeon mentors and process improvement coaches. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Perception of hospital safety culture. RESULTS: The overall survey response rate was 43.0% (580 of 1350 surveys) in 2015 and 39.0% (444 of 1138 surveys) in 2017 from 36 hospitals. Improvement occurred in all the overall domains, with significant improvement in teamwork climate (change, 3.9%; P = .03) and safety climate (change, 3.2%; P = .02). The largest improvements occurred in individual measures within domains, including physician-nurse collaboration (change, 7.2%; P = .004), reporting of concerns (change, 4.7%; P = .009), and reduction in communication breakdowns (change, 8.4%; P = .005). Hospitals with the lowest baseline safety culture experienced the largest improvements following collaborative implementation (change range, 11.1%-14.9% per domain; P

Background Few opportunities exist for surgeons to receive technical skills feedback after training. Surgeons at hospitals within the Illinois Surgical Quality Improvement Collaborative were invited to participate in a peer-to-peer video-based coaching initiative focused on improving technical skills in laparoscopic right colectomy. We present a formative qualitative evaluation of a video-based coaching initiative. Methods Concurrent with the implementation of our video-based coaching initiative, we conducted two focus groups and 15 individual semistructured interviews with participants; all interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. A subset of surgeons participated in a group video-review session, which was observed by qualitative researchers. Transcripts and notes were analyzed using an organizational behavior framework adapted from executive coaching. Results Participation in the initiative was primarily motivated by the opportunity to learn from others and improve skills. Surgeons highlighted the value of self-video and peer-video assessment not only to learn new techniques but also for self-reflection and benchmarking. Barriers to participation included logistics (e.g. using the laparoscopic recording devices, coordinating schedules for peer coaching), time commitment, and a surgical culture that assumes the intent of coaching is to address deficiencies. Conclusions Video-based peer-coaching provides a platform for surgeons to reflect, benchmark against peers, and receive personalized feedback; however, more work is needed to increase participation and sustain involvement over time. There is an opportunity to decrease logistical barriers and increase acceptability of coaching by integrating video-based coaching into existing surgical conferences and established continuous professional development efforts.

Background The Flexibility in Duty Hour Requirements for Surgical Trainees (FIRST) trial found no difference in patient outcomes or resident well-being between more restrictive and flexible duty hour policies. Qualitative methods are appropriate for better understanding the experience and perceptions of those affected by duty hour regulations. We conducted a pilot qualitative study on how resident duty hour regulations are perceived by general surgery program directors, surgical residents, and attending surgeons who participated in the FIRST Trial. Study Design Semi-structured qualitative interviews were pilot tested with program directors, residents, and attendings to examine initial perceptions of the standard and flexible policies implemented during the trial. The transcribed interviews were analyzed thematically using a constant comparative approach and grouped first by study arm and then by level (patient, surgeon, program, and national). Results More restrictive duty hours were perceived as creating a tension between resident personal and professional well-being. Standard Policy resulted in more transitions, which was perceived as creating vulnerable gaps in patient care. Standard Policy restrictions were seen as particularly challenging for interns and often led to inadequate preparation for promotion and encouraged a shift mentality. Conclusions In our pilot study, interviewees valued the flexibility afforded in the Flexible Policy arm, as it allowed them to maximize patient safety and educational attainment. Additional qualitative research will expand on program director, resident, and attending perceptions of resident duty hours as well as perceptions of patient safety. Qualitative methods can contribute to the national debate on resident duty hours.

Our objectives were to (1) develop a curriculum based upon participants' needs, (2) evaluate baseline QI knowledge of the Illinois Surgical Quality Improvement Collaborative (ISQIC) members, and (3) evaluate the effectiveness of the educational curriculum.The Surgeon Champion (SC), Surgical Clinical Reviewer (SCR), and QI Designee at each ISQIC hospital completed a QI curriculum containing online modules and in-person trainings. A surgical adaptation of QI-KAT, a validated QI knowledge assessment with multiple-choice and free-response sections, was administered pre- and postcurriculum. Three blinded educators scored each exam using a rubric-based scoring tool (54 total points).The ISQIC is a 52-hospital learning collaborative. Generally, ISQIC participants had little prior formal training or experience with quality improvement.Among 52 hospitals, 144 pretests and 112 post-tests were collected. Mean scores increased from 66% (35.6 points) to 77% (41.6 points; p0.001). Across all hospitals, all participant groups scored higher on the post-test (SCs 15%, SCRs 21%, QI Designees 17%). There was no significant difference in post-test mean scores among different team members: SCs 44 points, SCRs 42 points, QI Designees 44 points, (p = 0.76). When the post-test scores were aggregated at the hospital level, hospitals with new surgical QI programs improved more than hospitals with established programs (new 18%, established 11%, p0.05).QI knowledge significantly improved after completion of the ISQIC curriculum. These data support the value of formalized curricula to rapidly advance QI knowledge and application skills as a foundation for implementing QI initiatives.

OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to examine the implementation and associated clinical outcomes of a comprehensive surgical site infection (SSI) reduction bundle in a large statewide surgical quality improvement collaborative leveraging a multifaceted implementation strategy. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Bundled perioperative interventions reduce colorectal SSI rates when enacted at individual hospitals, but the ability to implement comprehensive SSI bundles and to examine the resultant clinical effectiveness within a larger, diverse population of hospitals is unknown. METHODS: A multifaceted SSI reduction bundle was developed and implemented in a large statewide surgical quality improvement collaborative through a novel implementation program consisting of guided implementation, data feedback, mentorship, process improvement training/coaching, and targeted-implementation toolkits. Bundle adherence and ACS NSQIP outcomes were examined preimplementation versus postimplementation. RESULTS: Among 32 hospitals, there was a 2.5-fold relative increase in the proportion of patients completing at least 75% of bundle elements (preimplementation = 19.5% vs. postimplementation = 49.8%, P = 0.001). Largest adherence gains were seen in wound closure re-gowning/re-gloving (24.0% vs. 62.0%, P < 0.001), use of clean closing instruments (32.1% vs. 66.2%, P = 0.003), and preoperative chlorhexidine bathing (46.1% vs. 77.6%, P < 0.001). Multivariable analyses showed a trend toward lower risk of superficial incisional SSI in the postimplementation period compared to baseline (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.49–10.2, P = 0.06). As the adherence in the number of bundle elements increased, there was a significant decrease in superficial SSI rates (lowest adherence quintile, 4.6% vs. highest, 1.5%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive multifaceted SSI reduction bundle can be successfully implemented throughout a large quality improvement learning collaborative when coordinated quality improvement activities are leveraged, resulting in a 30% decline in SSI rates. Lower superficial SSI rates are associated with the number of adherent bundle elements a patient receives, rendering considerable benefits to institutions capable of implementing more components of the bundle.

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a serious medical condition that results in preventable morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to identify nursing-related barriers to administration of VTE chemoprophylaxis to hospitalized patients. DESIGN: This was a qualitative study including nurses from five inpatient units at one hospital. METHODS: Observations were conducted on five units to gain insight into the process for administering chemoprophylaxis. Focus group interviews were conducted with nurses and were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using the Theoretical Domains Framework to identify barriers to providing VTE chemoprophylaxis. RESULTS: We conducted 14 focus group interviews with nurses from five inpatient units to assess nurses’ perceptions of barriers to administration of VTE chemoprophylaxis. The barriers identified included nurses’ misconceptions that ambulating patients did not require chemoprophylaxis, nurses’ uncertainty when counseling patients on the importance of chemoprophylaxis, and a lack of comparative data for nurses regarding their specific refusal rates. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple factors act as barriers to patients receiving VTE chemoprophylaxis. These barriers are often modifiable targets for quality improvement. There is a need to focus on behavior changes that will remove or minimize barriers and equip nurses to ensure administration of VTE chemoprophylaxis by engaging patients in their care.

IMPORTANCE: Postoperative complications remain common after surgery, but little is known about the extent of variation in operative technical skill and whether variation is associated with patient outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To examine the (1) variation in technical skill scores of practicing surgeons, (2) association between technical skills and patient outcomes, and (3) amount of variation in patient outcomes explained by a surgeon’s technical skill. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In this quality improvement study, 17 practicing surgeons submitted a video of a laparoscopic right hemicolectomy that was then rated by at least 10 blinded peer surgeons and 2 expert raters. The association between surgeon technical skill scores and risk-adjusted outcomes was examined using data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. The association between technical skill scores and outcomes was examined for colorectal procedures and noncolorectal procedures (ie, assessed on whether technical skills demonstrated during colectomy were associated with patient outcomes across other cases). In addition, the proportion of patient outcomes explained by technical skill scores was examined using robust regression techniques. The study was conducted from September 23, 2016, to February 10, 2018; data analysis was performed from November 2018 to January 2019. EXPOSURES: Colorectal and noncolorectal procedures. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Any complication, mortality, unplanned hospital readmission, unplanned reoperation related to principal procedure, surgical site infection, and death or serious morbidity. RESULTS: Of the 17 surgeons included in the study, 13 were men (76%). The participants had a range from 1 to 28 years in surgical practice (median, 11 years). Based on 10 or more reviewers per video and with a maximum quality score of 5, overall technical skill scores ranged from 2.8 to 4.6. From 2014 to 2016, study participants performed a total of 3063 procedures (1120 colectomies). Higher technical skill scores were significantly associated with lower rates of any complication (15.5% vs 20.6%, P = .03; Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient r = −0.54, P = .03), unplanned reoperation (4.7% vs 7.2%, P = .02; r = −0.60, P = .01), and a composite measure of death or serious morbidity (15.9% vs 21.4%, P = .02; r = −0.60, P = .01) following colectomy. Similar associations were found between colectomy technical skill scores and patient outcomes for all types of procedures performed by a surgeon. Overall, technical skill scores appeared to account for 25.8% of the variation in postcolectomy complication rates and 27.5% of the variation when including noncolectomy complication rates. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The findings of this study suggest that there is wide variation in technical skill among practicing surgeons, accounting for more than 25% of the variation in patient outcomes. Higher colectomy technical skill scores appear to be associated with lower complication rates for colectomy and for all other procedures performed by a surgeon. Efforts to improve surgeon technical skills may result in better patient outcomes.

Public reporting of individual physician patient experience scores is becoming widespread on hospital websites and may be included on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Physician Compare website in the future.1 2 Moreover, physician groups can submit patient experience scores for incentive compensation through the Merit-based Incentive Payment System, and many groups are including patient experience scores in the allocation of incentive compensation.3 However, there is concern that certain physician characteristics (eg, gender, age, training) may unduly influence these scores and may merit consideration of adjustment when used in these ways. It is important to understand whether uncontrollable factors beyond the patient–physician encounter may influence patients’ scores regarding a physician. It was our hypothesis that physician factors such as age, sex and aspects of his or her medical training significantly influence patient experience scores. Therefore, our objective was to assess the association between physician characteristics and patient experience scores from a diverse group of hospitals and medical groups. Patient experience survey data were acquired for all physicians from a large, diverse, six-hospital (one academic medical centre, one large community hospital, four small community hospitals) health system consisting of 252 outpatient clinic locations for fiscal years (FY) 2013–2017. Only the outpatient survey (Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, Clinican and Group (CG-CAHPS)) was examined as the inpatient survey (Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, Hospital (HCAHPS)) is not attributable to a single physician. Delivered nationally by a commercial third-party vendor, the survey contains 10 unique questions specifically addressing the …

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to (1) assess differences in how male and female general surgery residents utilize duty-hour regulations and experience aspects of burnout and psychological well-being, and (2) to explore reasons why these differing experiences exist. BACKGROUND There may be differences in how women and men enter, experience, and leave residency programs. METHODS A total of 7395 residents completed a survey (response rate = 99%). Logistic regression models were developed to examine the association between gender and resident outcomes. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 42 faculty and 56 residents. Transcripts were analyzed thematically using a constant comparative approach. RESULTS Female residents reported more frequently staying in the hospital >28 hours or working >80 hours in a week (≥3 times in a month, P < 0.001) and more frequently feeling fatigued and burned out from their work (P < 0.001), but less frequently "treating patients as impersonal objects" or "not caring what happens" to them (P < 0.001). Women reported more often having experienced many aspects of poor psychological well-being such as feeling unhappy and depressed or thinking of themselves as worthless (P < 0.01). In adjusted analyses, associations remained significant. Themes identified in the qualitative analysis as possible contributory factors to gender differences include a lack of female mentorship/leadership, dual-role responsibilities, gender blindness, and differing pressures and approaches to patient care. CONCLUSIONS Female residents report working more, experiencing certain aspects of burnout more frequently, and having poorer psychological well-being. Qualitative themes provide insights into possible cultural and programmatic shifts to address the concerns for female residents.

Background The Flexibility in Duty Hour Requirements for Surgical Trainees (FIRST) Trial randomly assigned surgical residency programs to either standard duty hour policies or flexible policies that eliminated caps on shift lengths and time off between shifts. Our objectives were to assess adherence to duty hour requirements in the Standard Policy arm and examine how often and why duty hour flexibility was used in the Flexible Policy arm. Study Design A total of 3,795 residents in the FIRST trial completed a survey in January 2016 (response rate >95%) that asked how often and why they exceeded current standard duty hour limits in both study arms. Results Flexible Policy interns worked more than 16 hours continuously at least once in a month more frequently than Standard Policy residents (86% vs 37.8%). Flexible Policy residents worked more than 28 hours once in a month more frequently than Standard Policy residents (PGY1: 64% vs 2.9%; PGY2 to 3: 62.4% vs 41.9%; PGY4 to 5: 52.2% vs 36.6%), but this occurred most frequently only 1 to 2 times per month. Although residents reported working more than 80 hours in a week 3 or more times in the most recent month more frequently under Flexible Policy vs Standard Policy (19.9% vs 16.2%), the difference was driven by interns (30.9% vs 19.6%), and there were no significant differences in exceeding 80 hours among PGY2 to 5 residents. The most common reasons reported for extending duty hours were facilitating care transitions (76.6%), stabilizing critically ill patients (70.7%), performing routine responsibilities (67.9%), and operating on patients known to the trainee (62.0%). Conclusions There were differences in duty hours worked by residents in the Flexible vs Standard Policy arms of the FIRST trial, but it appeared that residents generally used the flexibility for patient care and educational opportunities selectively.

BACKGROUND Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) was historically a poor performer on the venous thromboembolism (VTE) outcome measure. As this measure has been shown to be flawed by surveillance bias, NMH embraced process-of-care measures to ensure appropriate VTE prophylaxis to assess healthcare-associated VTE prevention efforts. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of an institution-wide project aimed at improving hospital performance on VTE prophylaxis measures. DESIGN A retrospective observational study. SETTING NMH, an 885-bed academic medical center in Chicago, Illinois PATIENTS Inpatients admitted to NMH from January 1, 2013 to May 1, 2013 and from October 1, 2014 to April 1, 2015 were eligible for evaluation. INTERVENTION Using the define-measure-analyze-improve-control (DMAIC) process-improvement methodology, a multidisciplinary team implemented and iteratively improved 15 data-driven interventions in 4 broad areas: (1) electronic medical record (EMR) alerts, (2) education initiatives, (3) new EMR order sets, and (4) other EMR changes. MEASUREMENTS The Joint Commission's 6 core measures and the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) SCIP-VTE-2 measure. RESULTS Based on 3103 observations (1679 from January 1, 2013 to May 1, 2013, and 1424 from October 1, 2014 to April 1, 2015), performance on the core measures improved. Performance on measure 1 (chemoprophylaxis) improved from 82.5% to 90.2% on medicine services, and from 94.4% to 97.6% on surgical services. The largest improvements were seen in measure 4 (platelet monitoring), with a performance increase from 76.7% adherence to 100%, and measure 5 (warfarin discharge instructions), with a performance increase from 27.4% to 88.8%. CONCLUSION A systematic hospital-wide DMAIC project improved VTE prophylaxis measure performance. Sustained performance has been observed, and novel control mechanisms for continued performance surveillance have been embedded in the hospital system. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2016;11:S29–S37. © 2016 Society of Hospital Medicine

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program is well recognized in surgical quality measurement and is used widely in research. Recent calls to make it a platform for national public reporting and pay-for-performance initiatives highlight the importance of understanding which types of hospitals elect to participate in the program. Our objective was to compare characteristics of hospitals participating in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program to characteristics of nonparticipating US hospitals.The 2013 American Hospital Association and Centers for MedicareMedicaid Services Healthcare Cost Report Information System datasets were used to compare characteristics and operating margins of hospitals participating in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program to those of nonparticipating hospitals.Of 3,872 general medical and surgical hospitals performing inpatient surgery in the United States, 475 (12.3%) participated in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Participating hospitals performed 29.0% of all operations in the United States. Compared with nonparticipating hospitals, American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program hospitals had a higher mean annual inpatient surgical case volume (6,426 vs 1,874; P .001) and a larger mean number of hospital beds (420 vs 167; P .001); participating hospitals were more often teaching hospitals (35.2% vs 4.1%; P .001), had more quality-related accreditations (P .001), and had higher mean operating margins (P .05). States with the highest proportions of hospitals participating in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program had established surgical quality improvement collaboratives.The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program hospitals are large teaching hospitals with more quality-related accreditations and financial resources. These findings should be considered when reviewing research studies using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data, and the findings reinforce that efforts are needed to facilitate participation in surgical quality improvement by all hospital types.

The Flexibility in Duty Hour Requirements for Surgical Trainees (FIRST) trial was a national, cluster-randomized, pragmatic, noninferiority trial of 117 general surgery programs, comparing standard ACGME resident duty hour requirements ("Standard Policy") to flexible, less-restrictive policies ("Flexible Policy"). Participating program directors (PDs) were surveyed to assess their perceptions of patient care, resident education, and resident well-being during the study period.A survey was sent to all PDs of the general surgery residency programs participating in the FIRST trial (N = 117 [100% response rate]) in June and July 2015. The survey compared PDs' perceptions of the duty hour requirements in their arm of the FIRST trial during the study period from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.One hundred percent of PDs in the Flexible Policy arm indicated that residents used their additional flexibility in duty hours to complete operations they started or to stabilize a critically ill patient. Compared with the Standard Policy arm, PDs in the Flexible Policy arm perceived a more positive effect of duty hours on the safety of patient care (68.9% vs 0%; p0.001), continuity of care (98.3% vs 0%; p0.001), and resident ability to attend educational activities (74.1% vs 3.4%; p0.001). Most PDs in both arms reported that safety of patient care (71.8%), continuity of care (94.0%), quality of resident education (83.8%), and resident well-being (55.6%) would be improved with a hypothetical permanent adoption of more flexible duty hours.Program directors involved in the FIRST trial perceived improvements in patient safety, continuity of care, and multiple aspects of resident education and well-being with flexible duty hours.

Background Postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) is important clinically, and VTE quality metrics are used in public reporting and pay-for-performance programs. However, current VTE outcome measures are not valid due to surveillance bias, and the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP-VTE-2) process measure only requires prophylaxis within 24 hours of surgery. Objectives We sought to (1) develop a novel measure of VTE prophylaxis that requires early ambulation, mechanical prophylaxis, and chemoprophylaxis throughout the hospitalization, and (2) compare hospital performance on the SCIP-VTE-2 process measure to this novel measure. Research design A new composite measure of ambulation, sequential compression device (SCD), and chemoprophylaxis component measures was developed. The ambulation component required daily ambulation, the SCD component required documentation of continuous use, and the chemoprophylaxis component required patient-appropriate and medication-appropriate dosing and administration. Requirements could also be met with component-specific exceptions. Surgical patients at an academic center from 2012 to 2013 were assessed for SCIP-VTE-2 and composite measure adherence. Results Of 786 patients, 589 (74.9%) passed the ambulation measure, 494 (62.8%) passed the SCD measure, and 678 (86.3%) passed the chemoprophylaxis measure. A total of 268 (91.8%) SCD failures and 46 (42.6%) chemoprophylaxis failures were ordered but not administered. When comparing the 2 measures, 784 (99.7%) passed SCIP-VTE-2, whereas only 364 (46.3%) passed the composite measure (P Conclusions This new measure incorporates the critical aspects of VTE prevention to ensure defect-free care. After additional evaluation, this composite VTE prophylaxis measure with appropriate exclusion criteria may be a better alternative to existing VTE process and outcome measures.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the number one cause of potentially preventable death in hospitalized patients. Venous thromboembolism is a serious and preventable condition in patients who have undergone recent surgery. There are 2 forms of VTE: deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). Deep vein thromboses occur when a blood clot forms in the deep veins, most commonly in the arms or legs. Pulmonary embolisms occur when a DVT breaks off and becomes lodged in the lungs. Venous thromboembolism accounts for 100 000 patient deaths per year.