A collaborative to evaluate and improve the quality of surgical care delivered by the military health system

Peter A. Learn; Mollie J. Mullen; Pierre F. Saldinger; Peter Kreishman; Paul R. Cordts; Clifford Y. Ko; M. Margaret Knudson; Eric A. Elster

doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00286

A collaborative to evaluate and improve the quality of surgical care delivered by the military health system

Peter A. Learn^*, Mollie J. Mullen, Pierre F. Saldinger, Peter Kreishman, Paul R. Cordts, Clifford Y. Ko, M. Margaret Knudson, Eric A. Elster

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

In an effort to improve surgical quality and reduce clinical variability, the Military Health System (MHS) expanded its participation in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program to all military hospitals beginning in 2015. This expansion and a partnership with the American College of Surgeons laid the foundation for a surgical quality collaborative in the MHS.We review the history of the program in the MHS and the activities that have contributed to developing the collaborative. We also report promising trends in surgical outcomes at hospitals that were already participating in the program in 2014, when a critical MHS review identified areas for improvement in surgical care. We conclude with a discussion of possible lessons for other health systems and challenges ahead for the MHS, now that full enrollment in the program has been completed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1313-1320
Number of pages	8
Journal	Health Affairs
Volume	38
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00286
State	Published - 2019
Externally published	Yes

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title = "A collaborative to evaluate and improve the quality of surgical care delivered by the military health system",

abstract = "In an effort to improve surgical quality and reduce clinical variability, the Military Health System (MHS) expanded its participation in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program to all military hospitals beginning in 2015. This expansion and a partnership with the American College of Surgeons laid the foundation for a surgical quality collaborative in the MHS.We review the history of the program in the MHS and the activities that have contributed to developing the collaborative. We also report promising trends in surgical outcomes at hospitals that were already participating in the program in 2014, when a critical MHS review identified areas for improvement in surgical care. We conclude with a discussion of possible lessons for other health systems and challenges ahead for the MHS, now that full enrollment in the program has been completed.",

author = "Learn, {Peter A.} and Mullen, {Mollie J.} and Saldinger, {Pierre F.} and Peter Kreishman and Cordts, {Paul R.} and Ko, {Clifford Y.} and Knudson, {M. Margaret} and Elster, {Eric A.}",

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AU - Learn, Peter A.

AU - Mullen, Mollie J.

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AU - Cordts, Paul R.

AU - Ko, Clifford Y.

AU - Knudson, M. Margaret

AU - Elster, Eric A.

PY - 2019

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AB - In an effort to improve surgical quality and reduce clinical variability, the Military Health System (MHS) expanded its participation in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program to all military hospitals beginning in 2015. This expansion and a partnership with the American College of Surgeons laid the foundation for a surgical quality collaborative in the MHS.We review the history of the program in the MHS and the activities that have contributed to developing the collaborative. We also report promising trends in surgical outcomes at hospitals that were already participating in the program in 2014, when a critical MHS review identified areas for improvement in surgical care. We conclude with a discussion of possible lessons for other health systems and challenges ahead for the MHS, now that full enrollment in the program has been completed.

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A collaborative to evaluate and improve the quality of surgical care delivered by the military health system

Abstract

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