Intestinal Tool Helps Surgeons Measure Health Outcomes

A recent study looks a intestinal tool developed by colorectal surgeons that may help with better measuring the quality and outcomes of related health issues.

According to researchers at University Hospitals case Medical Center, they called the new tool the HARM score that's works to reliably measure quality and clinical outcomes for colon and rectal surgery patients.

Background information from the study shows that the tool reflects data sources used to calculate various factors, including hospital stay, readmission and mortality rate.

"There is a need for a metric that accurately and inexpensively measures patient outcomes, effectiveness, and efficiency of care," said Conor P. Delaney, MD PhD, senior author of the study and Chief of the Division of Colorectal Surgery at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Professor of Surgery at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, via a press release. "The HARM score is easy to measure, derived from routinely captured data elements, applicable to a variety of procedures, and serves as an impetus for continuous improvement."

Previous info has shown that in 2010, Dr. Delaney demonstrated that the most utilized process measured had no relationship to the outcomes. In fact, he states that this extensive research and long-term assessment and refinement that the group completed via enhanced recovery in colorectal surgery led them to conclude that the most important measurements of quality are outcome measures, including length-of-stay (LOS), readmission rates and mortality.

The study notes that this has gained increasing attention as an indicator of surgical efficiency because of its consistency and safe reduction in order to better measure the health via effective, enhanced recovery programs.

As readmissions can play a key element when considering the quality metric, Dr. Delaney notes the following, via the release: "It is estimated that each readmission episode after colorectal surgery costs about $9,000, accounting for $300 million in readmission costs annually."

Delaney and his team tested the validity of the HARM score by looking at a retrospective review of 81,600 colectomy discharge records from 324 hospitals between January 2010 and January 2011 via a national database.

They evaluated complications, such as infection following surgery, bleeding, and several other categories. An analysis showed the complication rate directly correlated with the HARM score.

"In addition to the HARM tool being easy to use, the tool uses routinely available administrative data without either capital investment for software, or ongoing costs for maintenance or personnel. "The HARM score may decrease the administrative costs associated with quality care improvement programs, while being almost universally applicable regardless of the size of the hospital," said Dr. Delaney.