28 May Is Cancer Survival the Same At Affiliates of Top-Ranked Hospitals?

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Boffa

Daniel J. Boffa, MD
Associate Professor of Thoracic Surgery
Yale School of Medicine

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: The study examined networks that formed around hospitals that had been previously ranked in the top-50 by US News and World Report.  These top-ranked hospitals have shared their brand with hospitals in their network, which leads some people to believe that the care is the same at top-ranked hospitals and their affiliate hospitals.  We wanted to determine if outcomes after complex surgical procedures were truly the same at affiliate hospitals and top-ranked hospitals. 

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?

Response: Both short-term and long-term survival are significantly better at top-ranked hospitals compared to affiliates of top-ranked hospitals. 

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report? 

Response: Patients should not assume that the outcomes of cancer treatment are the same at every hospital that shares the name of a top-ranked hospital, particularly for complex cancer treatment such as surgery.  Patients should research the outcomes at any hospital they are considering for complex care.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work? 

Response: The findings are actually extremely exciting, as they suggest that some of the nation’s best hospitals have a formal connection to hospitals that have room to improve.  The next challenge is figuring out ways to leverage the network model, to allow the better performing hospitals help to improve the care at the hospitals that are underperforming.

Any disclosures? Epic Sciences has supported my research by performing research assays.  

Citation:

Boffa DJ, Mallin K, Herrin J, et al. Survival After Cancer Treatment at Top-Ranked US Cancer Hospitals vs Affiliates of Top-Ranked Cancer Hospitals. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(5):e203942. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.3942

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2766201

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Last Updated on May 28, 2020 by Marie Benz MD FAAD