title: Quality assessment in head and neck oncologic surgery in a Brazilian cancer center compared with MD Anderson Cancer Center benchmarks.
abstract: Quality assessment is a major tool for evaluation of health care delivery. In head and neck surgery, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson) has defined quality standards by publishing benchmarks.
  
  
  
  We conducted an analysis of 360 head and neck surgeries performed at the AC Camargo Cancer Center (AC Camargo). The procedures were stratified into low-acuity procedures (LAPs) or high-acuity procedures (HAPs) and outcome indicators where compared to MD Anderson benchmarks.
  
  
  
  In the 360 cases, there were 332 LAPs (92.2%) and 28 HAPs (7.8%). Patients with any comorbid condition had a higher incidence of negative outcome indicators (p = .005). In the LAPs, we achieved the MD Anderson benchmarks in all outcome indicators. In HAPs, the rate of surgical site infection and length of hospital stay were higher than what is established by the benchmarks.
  
  
  
  Quality assessment of head and neck surgery is possible and should be disseminated, improving effectiveness in health care delivery. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: 1002-1007, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Surgery and Otorhinolaryngology Department, A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renan Bezerra
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Lira
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Surgery and Otorhinolaryngology Department, A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: André Ywata
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Surgery and Otorhinolaryngology Department, A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Genival Barbosa
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Carol M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Randal S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Surgery and Otorhinolaryngology Department, A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Paulo
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Kowalski
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D001938:Brazil; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013781:Texas
keywords: head and neck surgery; quality; quality of care; surgery