The Impact of Racial Disparities and the Social Determinants of Health on Esophageal and Gastric Cancer Outcomes.

Reducing long-standing inequities in gastric and esophageal cancers is a priority of patients, providers, and policy makers. Many social determinants of health influence risk factors for disease development, incidence, treatment, and outcomes of gastric and esophageal cancers.

Unplanned Surgery in Dually Eligible Beneficiaries for Conditions that Should Be Treated Electively.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the rate of unplanned surgery among dually eligible beneficiaries for surgical conditions that should be treated electively. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Access-sensitive surgical conditions (e.g. abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, colectomy for colon cancer, ventral hernia repair) are ideally treated with elective surgery, but when left untreated have a natural history leading to unplanned surgery. Dually eligible beneficiaries may face systematic barriers to access surgical care. METHODS: Cross-sectional retrospective study of all beneficiaries who were eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, and underwent surgery for an access-sensitive surgical condition between 2016-2020. We compared the rate of unplanned surgery as well as 30-day mortality, complications and readmissions for dually eligible versus non-dually eligible beneficiaries. Sex, age, race/ethnicity, comorbidities, teaching status, nursing ratio, hospital region and bed size and surgery year were included in the risk-adjustment model. RESULTS: Out of 853,500 beneficiaries, 118,812 were dually eligible with an average age (SD) of 75.2(7.7) years. Compared to non-dually eligible beneficiaries, dually eligible beneficiaries had a higher rates of unplanned surgery for access-sensitive surgical conditions (45.1% vs. 31.8%, P<0.001), 30-day mortality (2.9% vs. 2.6%, aOR=1.10 (1.07-1.14), P<0.001), complications (23.6% vs. 20.1%, aOR=1.23 (1.20-1.25), P<0.001), and 30-day readmissions (15.5% vs. 12.9%, aOR=1.24 (1.22-1.27), P<0.001). These differences narrowed significantly when evaluating elective procedures only. CONCLUSIONS: Dually eligible beneficiaries were more likely to undergo unplanned surgery for access-sensitive surgical conditions, leading to worse rates of mortality, complications and readmissions. Our findings suggest that improving rates of elective surgery for these conditions represents an actionable target to narrow the difference in post-operative outcomes between dually eligible and non-dually eligible beneficiaries.

Structural Racism and Lung Cancer Risk: A Scoping Review.

Importance: Structural racism is associated with persistent inequities in health and health outcomes in the US for racial and ethnic minority groups. This review summarizes how structural racism contributes to differential population-level exposure to lung cancer risk factors and thus disparate lung cancer risk across different racial and ethnic groups. Observations: A scoping review was conducted focusing on structural racism and lung cancer risk for racial and ethnic minority groups. The domains of structural racism evaluated included housing and built environment, occupation and employment, health care, economic and educational opportunity, private industry, perceived stress and discrimination, and criminal justice involvement. The PubMed, Embase, and MedNar databases were searched for English-language studies in the US from January 1, 2010, through June 30, 2022. The review demonstrated that racial and ethnic minority groups are more likely to have environmental exposures to air pollution and known carcinogens due to segregation of neighborhoods and poor housing quality. In addition, racial and ethnic minority groups were more likely to have exposures to pesticides, silica, and asbestos secondary to higher employment in manual labor occupations. Furthermore, targeted marketing and advertisement of tobacco products by private industry were more likely to occur in neighborhoods with more racial and ethnic minority groups. In addition, poor access to primary care services and inequities in insurance status were associated with elevated lung cancer risk among racial and ethnic minority groups. Lastly, inequities in tobacco use and cessation services among individuals with criminal justice involvement had important implications for tobacco use among Black and Hispanic populations. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings suggest that structural racism must be considered as a fundamental contributor to the unequal distribution of lung cancer risk factors and thus disparate lung cancer risk across different racial and ethnic groups. Additional research is needed to better identify mechanisms contributing to inequitable lung cancer risk and tailor preventive interventions.

Outcomes for High-Risk Surgical Procedures Across High- and Low-Competition Hospital Markets.

Importance: Maintaining competition among hospitals is increasingly seen as important to achieving high-quality outcomes. Whether or not there is an association between hospital market competition and outcomes after high-risk surgery is unknown. Objective: To evaluate whether there is an association between hospital market competition and outcomes after high-risk surgery. Design, Setting, and Participants: We performed a retrospective study of Medicare beneficiaries who received care in US hospitals. Participants were 65 years and older who electively underwent 1 of 10 high-risk surgical procedures from 2015 to 2018: carotid endarterectomy, mitral valve repair, open aortic aneurysm repair, lung resection, esophagectomy, pancreatectomy, rectal resection, hip replacement, knee replacement, and bariatric surgery. Hospitals were categorized into high-competition and low-competition markets based on the hospital market Herfindahl-Hirschman index. Comparisons of 30-day mortality and 30-day readmissions were risk-adjusted using a multivariate logistic regression model adjusting for patient factors (age, sex, comorbidities, and dual eligibility), year of procedure, and hospital characteristics (nurse ratio and teaching status). Data were analyzed from May 2022 to March 2023. Main Outcomes and Measures: Thirty-day postoperative mortality and readmissions. Results: A total of 2 242 438 Medicare beneficiaries were included in the study. The mean (SD) age of the cohort was 74.1 (6.4) years, 1 328 946 were women (59.3%), and 913 492 were men (40.7%). When examined by procedure, compared with low-competition hospitals, high-competition market hospitals demonstrated higher 30-day mortality for 2 of 10 procedures (mitral valve repair: odds ratio [OR], 1.11; 95% CI, 1.07-1.14; and carotid endarterectomy: OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.03-1.09) and no difference for 5 of 10 procedures (open aortic aneurysm repair, bariatric surgery, esophagectomy, knee replacement, and hip replacement; ranging from OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.94-1.00, for hip replacement to OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.94-1.26, for bariatric surgery). High-competition hospitals also demonstrated 30-day readmissions that were higher for 5 of 10 procedures (open aortic aneurysm repair, knee replacement, mitral valve repair, rectal resection, and carotid endarterectomy; ranging from OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00-1.02, for knee replacement to OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02-1.08, for rectal resection) and no difference for 3 procedures (bariatric surgery: OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.99-1.07; esophagectomy: OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.99-1.06; and pancreatectomy: OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.99-1.01). Hospitals in high-competition compared with low-competition markets cared for patients who were older (mean [SD] age of 74.4 [6.6] years vs 74.0 [6.2] years, respectively; P < .001), were more likely to be racial and ethnic minority individuals (77 322/450 404 [17.3%] vs 23 328/444 900 [5.6%], respectively; P < .001), and had more comorbidities (≥2 Elixhauser comorbidities, 302 415/450 404 [67.1%] vs 284 355/444 900 [63.9%], respectively; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: This study found that hospital market competition was not consistently associated with improved outcomes after high-risk surgery. Efforts to maintain hospital market competition may not achieve better postoperative outcomes.

Clinical Implications of Removing Race-Corrected Pulmonary Function Tests for African American Patients Requiring Surgery for Lung Cancer.

Importance: Removal of race correction in pulmonary function tests (PFTs) is a priority, given that race correction inappropriately conflates race, a social construct, with biological differences and falsely assumes worse lung function in African American than White individuals. However, the impact of decorrecting PFTs for African American patients with lung cancer is unknown. Objectives: To identify how many hospitals providing lung cancer surgery use race correction, examine the association of race correction with predicted lung function, and test the effect of decorrection on surgeons' treatment recommendations. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this quality improvement study, hospitals participating in a statewide quality collaborative were contacted to determine use of race correction in PFTs. For hospitals performing race correction, percent predicted preoperative and postoperative forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was calculated for African American patients who underwent lung cancer resection between January 1, 2015, and September 31, 2022, using race-corrected and race-neutral equations. US cardiothoracic surgeons were then randomized to receive 1 clinical vignette that differed by the use of Global Lung Function Initiative equations for (1) African American patients (percent predicted postoperative FEV1, 49%), (2) other race or multiracial patients (percent predicted postoperative FEV1, 45%), and (3) race-neutral patients (percent predicted postoperative FEV1, 42%). Main Outcomes and Measures: Number of hospitals using race correction in PFTs, change in preoperative and postoperative FEV1 estimates based on race-neutral or race-corrected equations, and surgeon treatment recommendations for clinical vignettes. Results: A total of 515 African American patients (308 [59.8%] female; mean [SD] age, 66.2 [9.4] years) were included in the study. Fifteen of the 16 hospitals (93.8%) performing lung cancer resection for African American patients during the study period reported using race correction, which corresponds to 473 African American patients (91.8%) having race-corrected PFTs. Among these patients, the percent predicted preoperative FEV1 and postoperative FEV1 would have decreased by 9.2% (95% CI, -9.0% to -9.5%; P < .001) and 7.6% (95% CI, -7.3% to -7.9%; P < .001), respectively, if race-neutral equations had been used. A total of 225 surgeons (194 male [87.8%]; mean [SD] time in practice, 19.4 [11.3] years) were successfully randomized and completed the vignette items regarding risk perception and treatment outcomes (76% completion rate). Surgeons randomized to the vignette with African American race-corrected PFTs were more likely to recommend lobectomy (79.2%; 95% CI, 69.8%-88.5%) compared with surgeons randomized to the other race or multiracial-corrected (61.7%; 95% CI, 51.1%-72.3%; P = .02) or race-neutral PFTs (52.8%; 95% CI, 41.2%-64.3%; P = .001). Conclusions and Relevance: Given the findings of this quality improvement study, surgeons should be aware of changes in PFT testing because removal of race correction PFTs may change surgeons' treatment decisions and potentially worsen existing disparities in receipt of lung cancer surgery among African American patients.

The combined effect of race, dual-eligibility and neighborhood deprivation on medicare spending after cancer surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Disparities in clinical outcomes following high-risk cancer operations are well documented, but, whether these disparities contribute to higher Medicare spending is unknown. METHODS: Using 100% Medicare claims, White and Black beneficiaries undergoing complex cancer surgery between 2016 and 2018 with dual eligibility status and census tract Area Deprivation Index score were included. Linear regression was used to assess the association of race, dual-eligibility, and neighborhood deprivation on Medicare payments. RESULT: Overall, 98,725 White(93.5%) and 6900 Black(6.5%) patients were included. Black beneficiaries were more likely to live in the most deprived neighborhoods(33.4% vs. 13.6%; P < 0.001) and be dual-eligible(26.6% vs. 8.5%; P < 0.001) compared to White beneficiares. Overall, Medicare spending was higher for Black compared to White patients($27,291 vs. 26,465; P < 0.001). Notably, when comparing Black dual-eligible patients living in the most deprived neighborhoods to White non-dual eligible patients living in the least deprived spending($29,507 vs. $25,596; abs diff $3911; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In this study, Medicare spending was significantly higher for Black patients undergoing complex cancer operations compared to White patients due to higher index hospitalization and post-discharge care payments.

Trends in Use of Robotic Surgery for Privately Insured Patients and Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries.

This cohort study evaluates trends in the adoption of robotic surgery among Medicare beneficiaries and privately insured patients for common general surgical procedures.

Surgical Care for Racial and Ethnic Minorities and Interventions to Address Inequities: A Narrative Review.

OBJECTIVE: Racial and ethnic inequities in surgical care in the United States are well documented. Less is understood about evidence-based interventions that improve surgical care and reduce or eliminate inequities. In this review, we discuss effective patient, surgeon, community, health care system, policy, and multi-level interventions to reduce inequities and identifying gaps in intervention-based research. BACKGROUND: Evidenced-based interventions to reduce racial and ethnic inequities in surgical care are key to achieving surgical equity. Surgeons, surgical trainees, researchers, and policy makers should be aware of the evidence-based interventions known to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in surgical care for prioritization of resource allocation and implementation. Future research is needed to assess interventions effectiveness in the reduction of disparities and patient-reported measures. METHODS: We searched PubMed database for English-language studies published from January 2012 through June 2022 to assess interventions to reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in surgical care. A narrative review of existing literature was performed identifying interventions that have been associated with reduction in racial and ethnic disparities in surgical care. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Achieving surgical equity will require implementing evidenced-based interventions to improve quality for racial and ethnic minorities. Moving beyond description toward elimination of racial and ethnic inequities in surgical care will require prioritizing funding of intervention-based research, utilization of implementation science and community based-participatory research methodology, and principles of learning health systems.

Hospital-Level Segregation Among Medicare Beneficiaries Undergoing Lung Cancer Resection.

BACKGROUND: Recent research has raised concern that health care segregation, the high concentration of racial groups within a subset of hospitals, is a key contributor to persistent disparities in surgical care. However, to date the extent and effect of hospital level segregation among patients undergoing resection for lung cancer remains unclear. METHODS: We used 100% Medicare fee-for-service claims to evaluate the degree of hospital-level racial segregation for patients undergoing resection for lung cancer between 2014 and 2018. Hospitals serving a high volume of minority patients were defined as the top decile of hospitals by volume of racial and ethnic minority beneficiaries served. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to compare surgical outcomes between hospitals serving high vs low volumes of minority patients. RESULTS: A total of 122,943 patients were included, with racial/ethnic composition of 360 American Indian or Native American (0.3%), 2077 Asian or Pacific Islander (1.7%), 1146 Hispanic or Latino (0.9%), 8707 non-Hispanic Black (7.1%), and 108,665 non-Hispanic White patients. Overall, 31.6%, 15.9%, 15.0%, and 7.8% of all hospitals performed 90% of lung cancer resection for Black, Asian, Hispanic, and Native American patients, respectively. Hospitals performing higher volumes of operations for racial and ethnic minorities had higher mortality (3.9% vs 3.1%; odds ratio [OR], 1.19; 95% CI, 1.15-1.23; P < .001), complications (18.1% vs 15.9%; OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.14-1.19; P < .001), and readmissions (11.7% vs 11.2%; OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.05; P < .001) for resections for lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that a small proportion of hospitals provide a disproportionate amount of surgical care for racial and ethnic minorities with lung cancer with inferior surgical outcomes.

Racial variation in baseline characteristics and wait times among patients undergoing bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND: Although bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for obesity and weight-related comorbid diseases, utilization rates are disproportionately low among non-white patients. We sought to understand if variation in baseline characteristics or access to care exists between white and non-white patients. METHODS: Using a statewide bariatric-specific data registry, we evaluated all patients who underwent bariatric surgery between 2006 and 2020 and completed a preoperative baseline questionnaire, which included a question about self-identification of race. Patient characteristics, co-morbidities, and time from initial preoperative clinic evaluation to date of surgery were compared among racial groups. RESULTS: A total of 73,141 patients met inclusion criteria with 18,741 (25.5%) self-identified as non-white. These included Black/African American (n = 11,904), Hispanic (n = 3448), Asian (n = 121), Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (n = 41), Middle Eastern (n = 164), Multiple (n = 2047) and other (n = 608). Non-white males were the least represented group, accounting for only 4% of all bariatric cases performed. Non-white patients were more likely to be younger (43.0 years vs. 46.6 years, p < 0.0001), disabled (16% vs. 11.4%, p < 0.0001) and have Medicaid (8.4% vs. 3.8%, p < 0.0001) when compared to white patients, despite having higher rates of college education (78.0% vs. 76.6, p < 0.0001). In addition, median time from initial evaluation to surgery was also longer among non-white patients (157 days vs. 127 days, p < 0.0001), despite having higher rates of patients with a body mass index above 50 kg/m2 (39.0% vs. 33.2%, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Non-white patients undergoing bariatric surgery represent an extremely diverse group of patients with more socioeconomic disadvantages and longer wait times when compared to white patients despite presenting with higher rates of severe obesity. Current guidelines and referral patterns for bariatric surgery may not be equitable and need further examination when considering the management of obesity within diverse populations to reduce disparities in care-of which non-white males are particularly at risk.

Understanding Racial Differences in Lung Cancer Surgery Through a Statewide Quality Collaborative.

BACKGROUND: Persistent racial disparities in lung cancer incidence, treatment, and survival are well documented. Given the importance of surgical resection for lung cancer treatment, racial disparities in surgical quality were investigated using a statewide quality collaborative. METHODS: This retrospective study used data from the Michigan Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons General Thoracic database, which includes data gathered for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database at 17 institutions in Michigan. Adult patients undergoing resection for lung cancer between 2015 and 2021 were included. Propensity score-weighting methodology was used to assess differences in surgical quality, including extent of resection, adequate lymph node evaluation, 30-day mortality, and 30-day readmission rate between white and black patients. RESULTS: The cohort included 5073 patients comprising 357 (7%) black and 4716 (93%) white patients. The black patients had significantly higher unadjusted rates of wedge resection than the white patients, but after propensity score-weighting for clinical factors, wedge resection did not differ from lobectomy (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78-1.49; P = 0.67). The black patients had fewer lymph nodes collected (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.77; 95% CI, 0.73-0.81; P < 0.0001) and lymph node stations sampled (IRR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.84-0.94; P < 0.0001). The black patients did not differ from the white patients in terms of mortality (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.19-2.34; P = 0.55) or readmission (OR, 0.79; 95 % CI, 0.49-1.27; P = 0.32). The black patients had longer hospital stays (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.02-1.14; P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: In a statewide quality collaborative that included high-volume centers, black patients received a less extensive lymph node evaluation, with fewer non-anatomic wedge resections performed, and a more limited lymph node evaluation with lobectomy.

Neighborhood Deprivation, Hospital Quality, and Mortality After Cancer Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if receipt of complex cancer surgery at high-quality hospitals is associated with a reduction in disparities between individuals living in the most and least deprived neighborhoods. BACKGROUND: The association between social risk factors and worse surgical outcomes for patients undergoing high-risk cancer operations is well documented. To what extent neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation as an isolated social risk factor known to be associated with worse outcomes can be mitigated by hospital quality is less known. METHODS: Using 100% Medicare fee-for-service claims, we analyzed data on 212,962 Medicare beneficiaries more than age 65 undergoing liver resection, rectal resection, lung resection, esophagectomy, and pancreaticoduodenectomy for cancer between 2014 and 2018. Clinical risk-adjusted 30-day postoperative mortality rates were used to stratify hospitals into quintiles of quality. Beneficiaries were stratified into quintiles based on census tract Area Deprivation Index. The association of hospital quality and neighborhood deprivation with 30-day mortality was assessed using logistic regression. RESULTS: There were 212,962 patients in the cohort including 109,419 (51.4%) men with a mean (SD) age of 73.8 (5.9) years old. At low-quality hospitals, patients living in the most deprived areas had significantly higher risk-adjusted mortality than those from the least deprived areas for all procedures; esophagectomy: 22.3% versus 20.7%; P <0.003, liver resection 19.3% versus 16.4%; P <0.001, pancreatic resection 15.9% versus 12.9%; P <0.001, lung resection 8.3% versus 7.8%; P <0.001, rectal resection 8.8% versus 8.1%; P <0.001. Surgery at a high-quality hospitals was associated with no significant differences in mortality between individuals living in the most compared with least deprived neighborhoods for esophagectomy, rectal resection, liver resection, and pancreatectomy. For example, the adjusted odds of mortality between individuals living in the most deprived compared with least deprived neighborhoods following esophagectomy at low-quality hospitals (odds ratio=1.22, 95% CI: 1.14-1.31, P <0.001) was higher than at high-quality hospitals (odds ratio=0.98, 95% CI: 0.94-1.02, P =0.03). CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Receipt of complex cancer surgery at a high-quality hospital was associated with no significant differences in mortality between individuals living in the most deprived neighborhoods compared with least deprived. Initiatives to increase access referrals to high-quality hospitals for patients from high deprivation levels may improve outcomes and contribute to mitigating disparities.

Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Rating and Surgical Outcomes Following Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services created a 5-star quality rating system to evaluate skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Patient discharge to lower-star quality SNFs has been shown to adversely impact surgical outcomes. Recent data has shown that over 20% of patients are discharged to an SNF after CABG, but the link between SNF quality and CABG outcomes has not been established. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of SNF quality ratings on postoperative outcomes after CABG. Retrospective cohort review of Medicare patients undergoing CABG and discharged to an SNF between the years 2016-2017. Patients were categorized into 3 groups according to the star rating of the SNF with receipt of care after discharge (ie, below average, average, above average). Risk-adjusted 30-day to 1-year outcomes of mortality, readmission, and SNF length of stay were calculated and compared using multivariable logistic regression and Poisson models across SNF quality categories. Of the 73,164 Medicare patients in our sample, 15,522 (21.2%) were discharged to an SNF. Patients in below average SNFs were more likely to be younger, Black, Medicare/Medicaid dual eligible, and have more comorbidities. Compared to above average SNFs, patients discharged to below average SNFs experienced higher risk-adjusted 30-day mortality (2.1% vs 1.6%, P<0.02), readmission (21.6% vs 19.3%, P<0.01) and SNF length of stay (17.3d vs 16.5d, P<0.0001). Within 90-days, below average SNFs experienced higher risk-adjusted readmission rates (31.7% vs 30.0%, P<0.004). Outcomes at 1-year were not statistically significant. Medicare beneficiaries discharged to lower quality SNFs experienced worse postoperative outcomes after CABG. Identifying best practices at high performing SNFs, to potentially implement at low performing facilities, may improve equitable care for patients.

Ongoing Controversies in Esophageal Cancer I: Feeding Tubes, Pyloroplasty, Thoracic Duct Clipping.

Reducing perioperative morbidity and mortality following esophagectomy remains central to surgeons' intraoperative decision-making. There remains wide variation in the technical approaches to esophagectomy and the employment of prophylactic strategies to reduce postoperative complications. In this article, we discuss the ongoing controversies related to feeding tube placement, pyloroplasty, and thoracic duct clipping and the evidence regarding these procedures.

Hospital-Level Racial and Ethnic Segregation Among Medicare Beneficiaries Undergoing Common Surgical Procedures.

This cohort study uses Medicare fee-for-service claims data to assess hospital-level racial and ethnic segregation among beneficiaries undergoing common surgical procedures.

Neighborhood deprivation and Medicare expenditures for common surgical procedures.

INTRODUCTION: The Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services valued based payments for inpatient surgical hospitalizations are adjusted for clinical but not social risk factors. While research has shown that social risk is associated with worse surgical patient outcomes, it is unknown if inpatient surgical episode Medicare payments are affected by social risk factors. METHODS: Retrospective review of Medicare beneficiaries, age 65-99, undergoing appendectomy, colectomy, hernia repair, or cholecystectomy between 2014 and 2018. Neighborhood deprivation measured by Area Deprivation Index for beneficiary census tract. We evaluated Medicare payments for a total episode of surgical care comprised of index hospitalization, physician fees, post-acute care, and readmission by beneficiary neighborhood deprivation. RESULTS: A total of 809,059 patients (Women, 56.0%) and mean (SD) age of 75.7 (7.4 years were included. A total of 145,351 beneficiaries lived in the least deprived neighborhoods and 134,188 who lived in the most deprived neighborhoods. Total surgical episode spending was $2654 higher among beneficiaries from the most deprived neighborhoods compared to those from the least after risk adjustment for clinical and hospital factors. These differences were driven in part by higher rates of readmissions (12.9% vs 10.8%, P < 0.001) and post-acute care (67.8% vs. 61.2%, P < 0.001) among beneficiaries living in the most deprived neighborhoods. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that value-based payment models with inclusion of social risk adjustment may be needed for surgical cohorts. Moreover, efforts focused on investing in deprived communities may be aligned with surgical quality improvement.

One-Year Mortality Is Not a Reliable Indicator of Lung Transplant Center Performance.

BACKGROUND: In the United States, the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) uses 1-year mortality as the primary measure of transplant center quality. We sought to evaluate the reliability of mortality outcomes in lung transplantation and to compare statistical methods of program performance evaluation. METHODS: We used the Standard Transplant Analysis and Research files from the United Network for Organ Sharing to identify lung transplant recipients from 2013 to 2018 in the United States. We stratified hospitals on the basis of 30-day, 1-year, and 5-year survival by risk adjustment, reliability adjustment with empirical Bayes technique, and hierarchical bayesian mixed effects models currently used by the OPTN. We measured variation in mortality rates and identification of performance outliers between techniques. RESULTS: We identified 12,769 recipients in 69 centers. Reliability adjustment reduced variation in hospital outcomes and had a large impact on hospital mortality rankings. For example, with 1-year mortality, 28% (5 hospitals) of the "best" hospitals (top 25%) and 18% (3 hospitals) of the "worst" hospitals (bottom 25%) were reclassified after reliability adjustment. The overall reliability of 1-year mortality was low at 0.42. Compared with the bayesian method used by the OPTN, reliability adjustment identified fewer outliers. The 5-year survival reached a higher reliability plateau with a lower volume of cases required. CONCLUSIONS: The reliability of 1-year mortality in lung transplantation is low, whereas 5-year survival estimates may be more reliable at lower case volumes. Reliability adjustment yielded more conservative measures of center performance and fewer outliers compared with current bayesian methods.