International: NHS to Publish Death Rates, Develop Quality Measures

By Anonymous

The Department of Health in England is planning to publish the death rates of patients undergoing surgery at National Health Service hospitals on the NHS Choices Web site as early as this summer. The data is expected to reveal higher death rates among hospitals performing fewer surgeries, according to The Guardian. The goal is to provide patients with mortality rates at NHS hospitals for major surgeries, such as hip and knee replacements, according to E-Health Insider. At the same time, the Department of Health hopes the publication of the statistics will encourage hospitals to improve care quality or cease providing services at which they do not excel.

Data will be limited to hospitalwide results at this stage and not individual surgeon performance; however, the Department of Health plans to eventually provide statistics on doctors. Medical directors at all hospitals and mental health trusts have been asked for examples of the performance statistics they use to assess clinical staff. From these, the Department of Health will select 50 measures for the medical community to consider. Once any questionable statistics have been addressed, they will be published in 2009 on the NHS site.

“Some will say that the data is not good enough, but the only way we can improve it is by using it,” Sir Bruce Keogh, medical director and interim director general of informatics at the Department of Health, told E-Heatth Insider.

For additional information, visit www.nhs.uk.

Copyright Health Forum Inc. Summer 2008

(c) 2008 Hospitals & Health Networks. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.