Point/Counterpoint: Should hospital procedure volume be used as a proxy measure for quality of surgical outcomes?

So there’s much more to think about when it comes to identifying indicators of surgical quality. Instead of focusing on individual hospital volumes, we need to figure out what really does contribute to good outcomes so that the information can be shared with underperforming hospitals. Identifying truly modifiable factors to improve outcomes is also important, because with an increased emphasis on the public reporting of physician and hospital outcomes, reimbursement and referral strategies will likely be tied to performance. Thus, it makes sense that we move the discussion beyond simply annual hospital volumes.

Dr. LaPar is a fourth-year surgical resident at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He said he has no disclosures.