title: Introduction to the STS National Database Series: Outcomes Analysis, Quality Improvement, and Patient Safety.
abstract: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) National Database is the foundation for most of the Society's quality, research, and patient safety activities. Beginning in January 2016 and repeating each year, The Annals of Thoracic Surgery will publish a monthly Database series of scholarly articles on outcomes analysis, quality improvement, and patient safety. Six articles will be directly derived from the STS National Database and will be published every other month: three articles on outcomes and quality (one each from the STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database, the STS Congenital Heart Surgery Database, and the STS General Thoracic Surgery Database), and three articles on research (one from each of these three specialty databases). These six articles will alternate with five additional articles on topics related to patient safety. The final article, to be published in December, will provide a summary of the prior 11 manuscripts. This series will allow STS and its Workforces on National Databases, Research Development, and Patient Safety to convey timely information aimed at improving the quality and safety of cardiothoracic surgery.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins All Children's Heart Institute, All Children's Hospital and Florida Hospital for Children, Saint Petersburg, Tampa, and Orlando, Florida. Electronic address: jeffjacobs@msn.com.
authors.forename: Jeffrey P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Shahian
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Prager
authors.affiliation: University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Florida.
authors.forename: Fred H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.affiliation: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Jane M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Burlington, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: D'Agostino
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins All Children's Heart Institute, All Children's Hospital and Florida Hospital for Children, Saint Petersburg, Tampa, and Orlando, Florida.
authors.forename: Marshall L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.
authors.forename: Benjamin D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Kozower
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Vinay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Badhwar
authors.affiliation: Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Vinod H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Thourani
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Henning A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Gaissert
authors.affiliation: Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Felix G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Cam
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: Stanford University, Stanford, California.
authors.forename: James I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Fann
authors.affiliation: Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan.
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paone
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Juan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado.
authors.forename: Joseph C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cleveland
authors.affiliation: Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
authors.forename: J Matthew
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.affiliation: Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Rachel S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Dokholyan
authors.affiliation: Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Sean M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.affiliation: Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Eric D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado.
authors.forename: Frederick L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Grover
authors.affiliation: Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: G Alexander
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Patterson
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000592:standards*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D061214:Patient Safety / Q000592:standards*; D058996:Quality Improvement; D012042:Registries; D012955:Societies, Medical; D013903:Thoracic Surgery; D014481:United States