Do all Patients Get the Same Care Across Hospitals?

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Surgical Outcomes Research
• Health Equity

Background:

• Extensive research highlights significant variation in surgical procedure utilization and patient outcomes.
• These variations encompass mortality, complication rates, hospital readmissions, and failure to rescue.
• Disparities in surgical access and outcomes are well-documented across geographic areas and racial groups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the multifaceted variations in surgical care delivery and outcomes.
• To investigate the influence of geography, race, and social determinants of health on surgical disparities.
• To underscore the need for collaborative efforts to address unacceptable variations in surgical care.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and synthesis of existing research on surgical variations.
• Analysis of data on surgical utilization, outcomes, and patient demographics.
• Exploration of the impact of geographic factors, race, and social determinants of health.

Main Results:

• Significant variations in surgical utilization and outcomes exist across and within U.S. geographic regions.
• Racial disparities demonstrably affect access to and outcomes from surgical interventions.
• Emerging evidence points to social determinants of health as contributing factors to surgical care variation.

Conclusions:

• Addressing variations in surgical care requires a comprehensive understanding of contributing factors, including geography, race, and social determinants of health.
• Collaborative strategies among stakeholders are essential to mitigate disparities and improve equity in surgical services.
• Determining acceptable levels of variation in surgical utilization and outcomes is a critical next step.