A retrospective study of the effects of minimally invasive colorectal surgery on Patient Safety Indicators across a five-hospital system

Surg Endosc. 2022 Oct;36(10):7684-7699. doi: 10.1007/s00464-022-09100-5. Epub 2022 Mar 2.

Abstract

Background: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality uses Patient Safety Indicators (PSI) to gauge quality of care and patient safety in hospitals. PSI 90 is a weighted combination of several PSIs that primarily comprises perioperative events. This score can affect reimbursement through Medicare and hospital quality ratings. Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has been shown to decrease adverse events and outcomes. We sought to evaluate individual PSI and PSI 90 outcomes of minimally invasive versus open colorectal surgeries using a large medical database from 5 hospitals.

Methods: A health system administrative database including all inpatients from 5 acute care hospitals was queried based on ICD 10 PC codes for colon and rectal surgery procedures performed between January 2, 2018 and December 31, 2019. Surgeries were labeled as MIS (laparoscopic) or open colorectal resection surgery. Patient demographics, health information, and case characteristics were analyzed with respect to surgical approach and PSI events. Statistical relationships between surgical approach and PSI were investigated using univariate methods and multivariate logarithmic regression analysis. PSIs of interest were PSI 8, PSI 9 PSI 11, PSI 12, and PSI 13.

Results: There were 1382 operations identified, with 861 (62%) being open and 521 (38%) being minimally invasive. Logistic modeling showed no significant difference between the 2 groups for PSI 3, 6, or 8 through 15.

Conclusion: Understanding PSI 90 and its components is important to enhance perioperative patient care and optimize reimbursement rates. We showed that MIS, despite providing known clinical benefits, may not affect scores in the PSI 90. Surgical approach may have little effect on PSIs, and other patient and system components that are more important to these outcome measures should be pursued.

Keywords: Colorectal; Laparoscopy; Minimally invasive; Patient safety indicators; Surgical quality.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Colorectal Neoplasms* / surgery
  • Colorectal Surgery*
  • Hospitals
  • Humans
  • Medicare
  • Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures
  • Patient Safety
  • Retrospective Studies
  • United States