title: The Danish Fracture Database can monitor quality of fracture-related surgery, surgeons' experience level and extent of supervision.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The importance of supervision and of surgeons' level of experience in relation to patient outcome have been demonstrated in both hip fracture and arthroplasty surgery. The aim of this study was to describe the surgeons' experience level and the extent of supervision for: 1) fracture-related surgery in general; 2) the three most frequent primary operations and reoperations; and 3) primary operations during and outside regular working hours.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 9,767 surgical procedures were identified from the Danish Fracture Database (DFDB). Procedures were grouped based on the surgeons' level of experience, extent of supervision, type (primary, planned secondary or reoperation), classification (AO Müller), and whether they were performed during or outside regular hours.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interns and junior residents combined performed 46% of all procedures. A total of 90% of surgeries by interns were performed under supervision, whereas 32% of operations by junior residents were unsupervised. Supervision was absent in 14-16% and 22-33% of the three most frequent primary procedures and reoperations when performed by interns and junior residents, respectively. The proportion of unsupervised procedures by junior residents grew from 30% during to 40% (p < 0.001) outside regular hours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interns and junior residents together performed almost half of all fracture-related surgery. The extent of supervision was generally high; however, a third of the primary procedures performed by junior residents were unsupervised. The extent of unsupervised surgery performed by junior residents was significantly higher outside regular hours.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  not relevant.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The Danish Fracture Database ("Dansk Frakturdatabase") was approved by the Danish Data Protection Agency ID: 01321.
authors.affiliation: Ortopædkirurgisk Afdeling, Hvidovre Hospital, Kettegård Allé 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark. mortenjonandersen@dadlnet.dk.
authors.forename: Morten Jon
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Kiril
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gromov
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brix
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Troelsen
mesh_terms: D039602:After-Hours Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009985:Orthopedics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care; D012086:Reoperation