Surgeon-specific performance reports in general surgery: an observational study of initial implementation and...

Area of Science:

• Surgical Quality Improvement
• Healthcare Performance Measurement
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• National quality initiatives are increasing demands for individual physician data.
• A surgeon-specific reporting (SSR) program was established to evaluate personal knowledge on individual performance quality.
• The study aimed to assess SSR as a tool for surgeons to evaluate and enhance clinical performance and identify usage barriers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of surgeon-specific reports (SSRs) in enabling surgeons to assess and improve their clinical performance.
• To identify barriers hindering the effective use of SSRs by surgeons.
• To inform the development of future SSR programs.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative research design utilizing semistructured interviews with surgeons who received performance reports.
• Data sources included National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP), Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP), and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) core measures, alongside hospital administrative data.
• Interview transcripts were analyzed using the constant comparative method.

Main Results:

• 61.5% of surgeons receiving SSRs were interviewed; approximately half understood the data's validity, accuracy, or complexity.
• Of those comprehending the data, 6 took steps to validate data or improve performance.
• Surgeons perceived SSRs could drive improvement via outcome knowledge and peer comparison but noted limitations like small sample sizes, coding errors, and potential for misinterpretation or patient selection bias.

Conclusions:

• Surgeon-specific reporting holds potential for empowering surgeons to enhance their practice.
• Efficient guidelines are necessary for surgeons to effectively understand and utilize performance metrics.
• Findings offer insights for developing more effective SSR programs, with future research needed to confirm outcome improvements.