Royal Columbian Hospital recognized for improving outcomes for surgical patients

SURREY, BC – The surgical program at Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) has been awarded an exemplary status by the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP). This recognition, sponsored by the American College of Surgeons, is for improving patient care by lowering complication rates for wound infections and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

NSQIP is the first validated, risk-adjusted, outcomes-based program to measure and improve the quality of surgical care. Participating hospitals have trained surgical clinical nurse reviewers who randomly follow 40 surgical patients every eight days and collect data on surgical procedure variables, including pre-operative risk factors, intra-operative variables, and 30-day post-operative mortality and morbidity outcomes for patients. This ‘risk adjusted data’ is used to compare hospital complication rates.

Of the more than 400 hospitals in North America participating in NSQIP, Royal Columbian is one of 26 hospitals and the only hospital in Canada that met the criteria of improved and sustained outcomes for two or more consecutive years in two or more of five performance measures related to DVT, cardiac, respiratory (pneumonia), surgical site infections (SSI) and urinary tract infection.

Hospitals enrolled in NSQIP receive their data in comprehensive, semi-annual, and real-time reports, allowing hospitals to monitor quality improvement efforts and compare surgical outcomes. This allows hospitals to make changes and improvements to better patient care and safety.

NSQIP was introduced to Canada in 2006 at Surrey Memorial Hospital and Royal Columbian Hospital, which as a result of NSQIP, achieved significant improvements in complications from infections. Now, NSQIP is a provincial initiative with 26 sites involved in BC, as well as a national initiative with hospitals in Ontario and Quebec. In 2012, along with Surrey Memorial and Royal Columbian, surgical programs at Abbotsford Regional, Burnaby, Chilliwack General, Delta, Eagle Ridge, Langley Memorial, Peace Arch, Ridge Meadows and the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre will also participate in the program.

Fraser Health provides a wide range of integrated health services to the largest and fastest growing population in B.C. The health authority is committed to improving the health of the population and the quality of life of more than 1.6 million people living in communities from Burnaby to White Rock to Hope.

Quotes

Dr. Clifford Y. Ko, Director, Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, American College of Surgeons
“Everyone wants to improve surgical quality, but you can’t do so effectively until you are able to define and measure quality and NSQIP offers the highest quality data available on surgical outcomes and complications across the surgical specialities.”

Dr. Nigel Murray, President and CEO, Fraser Health
“Quality and improving patient care are important priorities for Fraser Health. By making continual improvements in the care we provide, we are reducing complications after surgery resulting in better outcomes for our patients.”

Dr. Peter Blair, Program Medical Director, Surgery, Fraser Health
“The work to lower rates of wound infections and deep vein thrombosis is a team effort. Over the last two years, we worked on initiatives including ensuring antibiotics to prevent wound infections were given and given on time to be effective, maintaining body temperature during surgery, and protecting the wound from contamination during surgery. Through NSQIP, we hope to further improve patient care and safety and will include initiatives to controlling blood glucose levels.”

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