title: Opening the black box of cancer surgery quality: WebSMR and the Alberta experience.
abstract: A web-based synoptic operative report, the WebSMR (Surgical Medical Record), was developed to define and improve the quality of cancer surgery. Surgeons accurately record the essential steps of an operation including important decision-making in an analyzable format. Outcomes can be reviewed with provincial aggregates for quality improvement and maintenance of certification. Future synoptic pathology and follow-up templates will open the "black box" of surgical processes to define quality indicators for the improvement of cancer outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Oncology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Mack
authors.forename: O F
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Bathe
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hebert
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tamano
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Buie
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fields
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Temple