Software for Monitoring Surgical Site Infections
Author Information
Author(s): Huang Susan S, Livingston James M, Rawson Nigel S B, Schmaltz Steven, Platt Richard
Primary Institution: Brigham and Women's Hospital
Hypothesis
Can automated claims data be used to effectively monitor surgical site infection rates for cardiac procedures without transferring sensitive health information?
Conclusion
The study presents a free software package that allows healthcare insurers to routinely assess and identify hospitals with potentially high surgical site infection rates for cardiac procedures.
Supporting Evidence
- The software allows for routine assessment of surgical site infection rates without transferring sensitive data.
- Validation steps in the software help identify common data issues.
- The software is publicly available and can be used by various health plans.
Takeaway
This study created a computer program that helps hospitals check if patients get infections after heart surgery, using data they already have.
Methodology
Developed five SAS programs and a user manual for health plans to assess surgical infection rates using claims data.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to reliance on claims data, which may not capture all infections accurately.
Limitations
The software relies on surrogate indicators for actual surgical site infections and may not account for all variations in case-mix.
Participant Demographics
{"mean_age":{"UnitedHealth_Group":61.2,"Humana":68.7},"gender_distribution":{"UnitedHealth_Group":"72% male","Humana":"66% male"},"chronic_disease_score":{"UnitedHealth_Group":1708,"Humana":3372}}
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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