Assessment of Determinants of Value in Carotid Endarterectomy.

BACKGROUND: Over 150,000 carotid endarterectomies (CEA) are performed annually worldwide, accounting for $900 million in the United States alone. How cost/spending and quality are related is not well understood but remain essential components in maximizing value. We sought to identify determinants of variability in hospital 90-day episode value for CEA. METHODS: Medicare and private-payer admissions for CEA from January 2, 2014 to August 28, 2020 were linked to retrospective clinical registry data for hospitals in Michigan performing vascular surgery. Hospital-specific, risk-adjusted, 30-day composite complications (defined as reoperation, new neurologic deficit, myocardial infarction, additional procedure including CEA or carotid artery stenting, readmission, or mortality) and 30-day risk-adjusted, price-standardized total episode payments were used to categorize hospitals into low or high value by defining the intersection between complications and spending. RESULTS: A total of 6,595 patients across 39 hospitals were identified across both datasets. Patients at low-value hospitals had a higher rate of 30-day composite complications (17.9% vs. 10.1%, P < 0.001) driven by a significantly higher rate of reoperation (3.0% vs. 1.4%, P = 0.016), readmission (10.7% vs. 6.2%, P = 0.012), new neurologic deficit (4.6% vs. 2.3%, P = 0.017), and mortality (1.6% vs. 0.6%, P < 0.049). Mean total episode payments were $19,635 at low-value hospitals compared to $15,709 at high-value hospitals driven by index hospitalization ($10,800 vs. $9,587, P = 0.002), professional ($3,421 vs. $2,827, P < 0.001), readmission ($3,011 vs. $1,826, P < 0.001), and post-acute care payments ($2,335 vs. $1,486, P < 0.001). Findings were similar when only including patients who did not suffer a complication. CONCLUSIONS: There is tremendous variation in both quality and payments across hospitals included for CEA. Importantly, costs were higher at low-value hospitals independent of postoperative complication. There appears to be little to no relationship between total episode spending and surgical quality, suggesting that improvements in value may be possible by decreasing total episode cost without affecting surgical outcomes.

Not Just Bystanders: A Qualitative Study on the Vicarious Effects of Surgical Training on the Wellness of Support Persons for Trainees.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain insights into the effects of surgical training on the well-being of support persons. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Surgical trainee wellness is a critical priority among surgical educators and leaders. The impact of surgical training on the wellness of loved ones who support trainees has not been previously studied. METHODS: This qualitative study employs semi-structured interviews of 32 support persons of surgical trainees at a single tertiary care center with multiple surgical specialty training programs. Interviews focused on perceptions about supporting a surgical trainee. Transcripts underwent thematic analysis with semantic and conceptual coding. Key themes regarding the effects that caring for a trainee has on support persons are reported. RESULTS: Three key themes were identified: (1) Sacrifices-support persons report significant tangible and intangible sacrifices, (2) Delaying life-life is placed on hold to prioritize training, and (3) A disconnect-there is a disconnect and a lack of recognition of support person needs that require greater awareness and targeted interventions. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of surgical training can extend beyond trainees and can affect the wellness of their support persons who endure the effects of training alongside trainees. Programs should be aware of these effects and develop meaningful strategies to aid trainees and their support persons.

Pilot Study to Evaluate the Safety, Feasibility, and Financial Implications of a Postoperative Telemedicine Program.

BACKGROUND: Telemedicine in surgery holds promise for improving access and decreasing costs, but its role remains ill-defined. This pilot study was performed to investigate the safety, feasibility, and financial implications of providing postoperative care using an electronic clinic (eClinic) at a university hospital. METHODS: An easy-to-use and secure eClinic platform was constructed in Epic (Epic Systems Corporation, Verona, WA). Patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy, appendectomy, and hernia repairs on an adult acute care surgery service were enrolled in this program over an 11-month period (March 2017 to January 2018). Patients with prolonged hospitalizations (greater than 4 nights), perioperative complications, drains, and open wounds were excluded. Demographics, clinical outcomes, encounter time, patient satisfaction survey results, and cost analysis were compared with the traditional clinic (tClinic) patient population. RESULTS: Two hundred thirty-three eligible patients (61% female; mean age 41 ±â€Š16 years) were enrolled in this program. Their demographics were no different than the tClinic. Frequencies of readmission, reoperation, and emergency department visits (2.7%, 0%, and 4.2%, respectively) in the eClinic group were also similar to the tClinic group. However, total visit time was significantly shorter in the eClinic group (14 vs 145 minutes, P < 0.01). Anonymous surveys demonstrated a high degree of satisfaction, with 85% of patients expressing desire to utilize the eClinic again. This program enhanced the capacity for new visits to tClinic, with a resultant projected increase in additional operative cases and revenue for the health care system. CONCLUSIONS: A safe and efficient postoperative telemedicine program can be constructed utilizing a widely available electronic medical record system, which can improve patient satisfaction, optimize throughput, and increase gross charges for the healthcare system.