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Premier, Inc. Launches Services to Support National Effort to Reduce Surgical Complications; Alliance of Nearly 1,500 Hospitals Also Helping to Recruit Participants

Posted on: Friday, 29 July 2005, 18:00 CDT

Premier, Inc., an alliance of nearly 1,500 hospitals nationwide, will help recruit hospitals for a new initiative to reduce surgical complications, which currently cause thousands of deaths each year.

Premier also will provide data collection and performance improvement services to support hospitals that participate in the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP). The project's goal is to reduce surgical complications by 25 percent nationally within the next five years.

Research shows that a significant percentage of the nearly 30 million operations performed in the United States each year results in preventable, often life-threatening complications. A 2003 study found that postoperative complications accounted for up to 22 percent of preventable deaths among patients. The same study looked at 18 types of medical injuries during hospitalization and found those events accounted for 2.4 million additional hospital days and $9.3 billion in additional charges each year.

Hospitals participating in SCIP will collect and report data on key indicators associated with infection, heart attack, blood clots and pneumonia. Participating hospitals also commit to work with their clinical staff to reduce complications and to dedicate resources to the effort.

Premier will provide data collection services, education and structured collaboration to support the project. Among Premier's offerings will be Web-based resources, teleconferences and collaborative groups focused on improving specific processes and outcomes.

"Premier is deeply committed to making the project a success," said Stephanie Alexander, senior vice president and general manager of Premier's Healthcare Informatics unit. "We believe that participation will help hospitals improve outcomes and save lives."

Hospitals were asked to join SCIP yesterday at the American Hospital Association's Health Forum meeting in San Diego.

SCIP is one of the first national quality improvement initiatives to unite national hospital, physician and nursing organizations; the federal government; the organization that accredits hospitals; and private sector experts in far-reaching quality improvement and patient safety efforts.

Premier is a committed partner of SCIP and has been an on-going member of SCIP's technical expert panel (TEP).

The SCIP steering committee includes the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, American College of Surgeons, American Hospital Association, American Society of Anesthesiologists, Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and Veterans Health Administration

Data collection is anticipated to start in January 2006. More information about SCIP is available at www.MedQIC.org/scip.

About Premier

Premier, Inc. is a healthcare alliance entirely owned by more than 200 of the nation's leading hospitals and healthcare systems. These systems operate or are affiliated with more than 1,400 hospital facilities and thousands of other healthcare sites. Premier provides an array of resources supporting health services delivery including group purchasing for more than $21 billion annually in supplies and equipment. Other resources offered by Premier are supply chain and clinical performance improvement services and insurance programs. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, Premier has offices in Chicago, IL; Charlotte, NC; and Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.premierinc.com.

Source: Business Wire

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