title: The power of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program--achieving a zero pneumonia rate in general surgery patients.
abstract: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) of the American College of Surgeons provides risk-adjusted surgical outcome measures for participating hospitals that can be used for performance improvement of surgical mortality and morbidity. A surgical clinical nurse reviewer collects 135 clinical variables including preoperative risk factors, intraoperative variables, and 30-day postoperative mortality and morbidity outcomes for patients undergoing major surgical procedures. A report on mortality and complications is prepared twice a year. This article summarizes briefly the history of NSQIP and how its report on surgical outcomes can be used for performance improvement within a hospital system. In particular, it describes how to drive performance improvement with NSQIP data using the example of postoperative respiratory complications--a major factor of postoperative mortality. In addition, this article explains the benefit of a collaborative of several participating NSQIP hospitals and describes how to develop a "playbook" on the basis of an outcome improvement project.
authors.affiliation: Walnut Creek Medical Center, CA, USA. pascal.fuchshuber@kp.org
authors.forename: Pascal R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Fuchshuber
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Greif
authors.forename: Chantal R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Tidwell
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Klemm
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Frydel
authors.forename: Abdul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wali
authors.forename: Efren
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rosas
authors.forename: Molly P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Clopp
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013502:General Surgery / Q000592:standards*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014481:United States