06 Dec Quality Improvement in Colon Cancer Care Linked to Lower Costs

Posted at 19:56h in Author Interviews, Colon Cancer, Cost of Health Care, Health Care Systems, Outcomes & Safety, Surgical Research by
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Johannes Govaert MD Department of Surgery Leiden University Medical Center Leiden, The Netherlands Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Dr. Govaert: The Value Based Health Care agenda of prof. Porter (Harvard Business School) suggests that focus in healthcare should shift from reducing costs to improving quality: where quality of healthcare improves, cost reduction will follow. One of the cornerstones of potential cost reduction, as mentioned by Porter, could be availability of key clinical data on processes and outcomes of care. Despite the important societal and economical role the healthcare system fulfils, it still lags behind when it comes to standardised reporting processes. With the introduction of the Dutch Surgical Colorectal Audit (DSCA) in 2009, robust quality information became available enabling monitoring, evaluation and improvement of surgical colorectal cancer care in the Netherlands. Since the introduction of the DSCA postoperative morbidity and mortality declined. Primary aim of this study was to investigate whether improving quality of surgical colorectal cancer care, by using a national quality improvement initiative, leads to a reduction of hospital costs. Detailed clinical data was obtained from the 2010-2012 population-based Dutch Surgical Colorectal Audit. Costs at patient-level were measured uniformly in all 29 participating hospitals and based on Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing. Medical Research: What are the main findings? Dr. Govaert: Over three consecutive years (2010-2012) severe complications and mortality after colorectal cancer surgery respectively declined with 20% and 29%. Simultaneously, costs during primary admission decreased with 9% without increase in costs within the first 90 days after discharge. Moreover, an inverse relationship (at hospital level) between severe complication rate and hospital costs was identified among the 29 participating hospitals. Hospitals with increasing severe complication rates (between 2010 and 2012) were associated with increasing costs whereas hospitals with declining severe complication rates were associated with cost reduction. Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report? Dr. Govaert: This report presents evidence for simultaneously quality improvement and cost reduction. By participation in a nationwide quality improvement initiative with continuous quality measurement and benchmarked feedback, opportunities for targeted improvements are revealed and therefore bringing the medical field forward in improving value of healthcare delivery. Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study? Dr. Govaert: This is the first study outside the United States to describe such inverse relationship based on original financial and clinical data. Our conclusions provide additional evidence for cost reduction by quality improvement programs as seen in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Therefore, we believe that our findings should be impetus for healthcare providers to focus on improving quality, which will catalyze costs savings as well. Citation: Nationwide Outcome-Measurement in Colorectal Cancer Surgery: Improving Quality and Reducing Costs Govaert, Johannes A. et al. Journal of the American College of Surgeons DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2015.09.020

Dr. Grovaert

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Johannes Govaert MD
Department of Surgery
Leiden University Medical Center
Leiden, The Netherlands

Medical Research: What is the background for this study?

Dr. Govaert: The Value Based Health Care agenda ofPprof. Porter (Harvard Business School) suggests that focus in healthcare should shift from reducing costs to improving quality: where quality of healthcare improves, cost reduction will follow. One of the cornerstones of potential cost reduction, as mentioned by Porter, could be availability of key clinical data on processes and outcomes of care. Despite the important societal and economical role the healthcare system fulfils, it still lags behind when it comes to standardised reporting processes. With the introduction of the Dutch Surgical Colorectal Audit (DSCA) in 2009, robust quality information became available enabling monitoring, evaluation and improvement of surgical colorectal cancer care in the Netherlands. Since the introduction of the DSCA postoperative morbidity and mortality declined.

Primary aim of this study was to investigate whether improving quality of surgical colorectal cancer care, by using a national quality improvement initiative, leads to a reduction of hospital costs. Detailed clinical data was obtained from the 2010-2012 population-based Dutch Surgical Colorectal Audit. Costs at patient-level were measured uniformly in all 29 participating hospitals and based on Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing.

Medical Research: What are the main findings?

Dr. Govaert: Over three consecutive years (2010-2012) severe complications and mortality after colorectal cancer surgery respectively declined with 20% and 29%. Simultaneously, costs during primary admission decreased with 9% without increase in costs within the first 90 days after discharge. Moreover, an inverse relationship (at hospital level) between severe complication rate and hospital costs was identified among the 29 participating hospitals. Hospitals with increasing severe complication rates (between 2010 and 2012) were associated with increasing costs whereas hospitals with declining severe complication rates were associated with cost reduction.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Govaert: This report presents evidence for simultaneously quality improvement and cost reduction. By participation in a nationwide quality improvement initiative with continuous quality measurement and benchmarked feedback, opportunities for targeted improvements are revealed and therefore bringing the medical field forward in improving value of healthcare delivery.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Govaert: This is the first study outside the United States to describe such inverse relationship based on original financial and clinical data. Our conclusions provide additional evidence for cost reduction by quality improvement programs as seen in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Therefore, we believe that our findings should be impetus for healthcare providers to focus on improving quality, which will catalyze costs savings as well.

Citation:

Nationwide Outcome-Measurement in Colorectal Cancer Surgery: Improving Quality and Reducing Costs

Govaert, Johannes A. et al.
Journal of the American College of Surgeons

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2015.09.020

 

Johannes Govaert MD (2015). Quality Improvement in Colon Cancer Care Linked to Lower Costs MedicalResearch.com

Last Updated on December 6, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

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