Quality control in the United States.
On a per capita basis, PTCA is more than three times more prevalent in the United States than in any other country. The US has nearly 1,000 institutions and 7,000 physicians doing angioplasty. Mortality and emergency bypass surgery rates are inversely proportional to angioplasty volume. Although PTCA is more prevalent in the United States, operators in other countries do more cases than do their US counterparts. Multiple forces control quality in the United States. Economic, political and legal forces are all important.
Margolis
J R
JR
Cardiovascular Laboratory, Miami Heart Institute, USA.
D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000639:trends*; D015996:Survival Rate; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology