Quality measures in ventral hernia repair: a systematic review

The US healthcare system is shifting towards reimbursement for quality over quantity of care. Quality measures are tied to financial incentives in these healthcare models. It is important that surgeons become familiar with quality measures addressing ventral hernia repair and understand candidate measures that may drive future quality measure development. We performed a systematic review of society websites, quality measure databases, and the literature (Pubmed, Embase/Scopus, and Google Scholar) for quality measures addressing ventral hernia surgery. Clinical practice guidelines were included as candidate quality measures. All measures were categorized as structure, process or outcome according to Donabedian domains, as well as within the six National Quality Strategy (NQS) domains. Thirty quality measures and candidate measures were identified. Eight candidate measures from the American Hernia Society addressed ventral hernia repair, and 22 quality measures in general surgery were also relevant to ventral hernia repair. Of the candidate measures, 6 (75%) were outcome and 2 (25%) were process measures. Of existing general surgery quality measures, 9 (41%) were outcome and 13 (59%) were process measures. No structural measures were identified. Overall, the majority of measures addressed NQS priorities of effective clinical care (33%) and patient safety (27%), while few addressed other domains. Both the Donabedian domains of quality and NQS priorities were unequally represented in the current measures addressing ventral hernia repair. Recognizing and addressing the under-represented areas will provide a more balanced framework for developing quality measures and ensure that ventral hernia surgery is appropriately evaluated in value-based payment models.