title: Recent advances in the patient safety and quality initiatives movement: implications for neurosurgery.
abstract: The US health care system is fragmented in terms of quality care, costs, and patient satisfaction. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, national attention has been placed on the health care system, but effective change has yet to be observed. Unnecessary costs, medical errors, and uncoordinated efforts contribute to patient morbidity, mortality, and decreased patient satisfaction. In addition to national efforts, local initiatives within individual departments must be implemented to improve overall satisfaction without the sacrifice of costs. In this article, the current issues with the health care system and potential initiatives for neurosurgery are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address: iyang@mednet.ucla.edu.
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Nolan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ung
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Nagasawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Panayiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pelargos
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Winward
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Choy
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Lawrance K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thill
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Neil A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Nasim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Afsar-Manesh
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Brittany
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Voth
mesh_terms: D018166:Health Care Reform; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; D061214:Patient Safety; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000639:trends*; D014481:United States
keywords: Cost; Neurosurgery; Quality; Quality initiatives; Safety