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Insights
New York
Area of Science:
- Health policy
- Cardiac surgery outcomes
- Public health reporting
Background:
- Physician resistance to public performance reporting.
- Cardiac surgeon survival rates in New York State.
- Impact of transparency on medical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the effects of public reporting of cardiac surgeon survival rates.
- To understand physician responses to performance transparency.
- To advocate for wider adoption of public reporting in healthcare.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of survival rates before and after public disclosure.
- Qualitative assessment of physician reactions.
- Comparative study of states with and without public reporting.
Main Results:
- Cardiac surgeons' survival rates improved after public disclosure.
- Physician performance adjustments were driven by livelihood concerns.
- Increased patient lives saved attributed to public reporting.
Conclusions:
- Public reporting of surgical outcomes can drive performance improvement.
- Transparency in healthcare benefits patient safety.
- Other states should consider implementing similar public reporting initiatives.
Abstract:
Doctors were angry when New York state began publishing the survival rates of cardiac surgeons' patients. But over time, those with less than stellar grades started to improve--if only to save their livelihoods. In the process, more patient lives have been saved. So why aren't other states doing the same?