[Quality monitoring of colon surgeons' volume of operations].
BACKGROUND
The number of operations performed by a surgeon is a predictor of the outcome of colon/rectum resection. Therefore it is relevant to monitor the surgeons' volume of work and the number of patients' complications in order to secure both an adequate number and high quality.


METHODS
Using data from the Danish National Patient Registry and Danish Colon Cancer Group's database, we located hospital departments that had performed colon/rectum surgery in 2003 and asked them whether they monitored surgeons' volume of work and the number of patients' complications and whether they considered those data relevant to the patients or their GPs.


RESULTS
Thirty-nine departments had performed colon/rectum resection; 27 of them responded. Eight departments (36%) had defined a standard for the number of operations per surgeon, while only four used the data to determine the surgeons' volume of work. 68% found data concerning the department's volume of operations relevant to both GPs and patients, while 23% thought that those data were not relevant to GPs or patients. 64% found the data concerning surgeons' volume to be irrelevant to both GPs and patients. None of the departments had informed the GPs or the patients about their results.


CONCLUSIONS
It is remarkable that very few hospital departments actually collect and use data to secure adequate volume and quality. It is necessary to increase the focus on surgeons' volume of operations in order to secure high quality.
Hansen
Anders Onsberg
AO
Roskilde Amt, Sundhedsforvaltningen. anders_onsberg@tele2adsl.dk
Birk
Hans Okkels
HO
D002983:Clinical Competence; D003106:Colon / Q000601:surgery*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D003107:Colorectal Surgery / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012007:Rectum / Q000601:surgery*; D012042:Registries; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data