A situational overview of surgical quality and safety in 2010.
BACKGROUND
Surgical safety and quality initiatives have now moved to the front of the agenda for contemporary surgery.


METHODS
Sixty-two surgical specialists began to study quality and cost control in 1998, and those efforts grew into a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-funded pilot study of the Surgical Care Improvement Project in 2004. Subsequent symposia and studies evolved.


RESULTS
A greater awareness of the issues and methods for meaningful improvement of surgical safety in nearly 25,000 specialty surgeries have been described in numerous peer-reviewed publications.


CONCLUSIONS
Surgeon-initiated efforts have led to marked improvements in multiple specialties and in many small and large hospitals and academic training centers.
Polk
Hiram C
HC
Department of Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA. hcpolk01@louisville.edu
Tyson
Margaret B
MB
Galandiuk
Susan
S
D002985:Clinical Protocols; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013043:Specialties, Surgical; D014481:United States