title: What the Surgeon Needs to Know About Databases.
abstract: Data collection is one of the most important instruments of any quality improvement initiatives. We have selected, summarized, and discussed 5 recent contributions mostly based on large international databases, which we considered most relevant to our specialty. They focused on different aspects: the selection and rigorous definition of the variables contained in the data set, the evaluation of a treatment or a pathway of care by the analysis of the observed outcomes, the identification of risk factors able to affect the surgical course, the measurement of the quality provided by a care giver, and the assessment of the quality of the data collected and the planning of quality improvement activities.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Ospedali Riuniti Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salati
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK.. Electronic address: brunellialex@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brunelli
mesh_terms: D000068598:Data Accuracy; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006801:Humans; D058996:Quality Improvement; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D012042:Registries; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D066231:Surgeons; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality / Q000592:standards; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: VATS lobectomy; database; lung resection; quality of care; quality of data; thoracic surgery