Transparency and Public Reporting of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery Outcomes in North America

Comparing apples to apples: Exploring public reporting of congenital cardiac surgery outcomes based on common congenital heart operations

OBJECTIVE

We sought to simplify reporting of outcomes in congenital heart surgery that compares well-defined patient groups and accommodates multiple stakeholder needs while being easily understandable.

METHODS

We selected 19 commonly performed congenital heart surgeries ranging in complexity from repair of atrial septal defects to the Norwood procedure. Strict inclusion/exclusion criteria ensured the creation of 19 well-defined diagnosis/procedure cohorts. Preoperative, procedural, and postoperative data were collected for consecutive eligible patients from 9 centers between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2021. Unadjusted operative mortality rates and hospital length of stay for each of the 19 diagnosis/procedure cohorts were summarized in aggregate and stratified by each center.

RESULTS

Of 8572 eligible cases included, numbers in the 19 diagnosis/procedure cohorts ranged from 73 for tetralogy of Fallot repair after previous palliation to 1224 for ventricular septal defect (VSD) repair for isolated VSD. In aggregate, the unadjusted mortality ranged from 0% for atrial septal defect repair to 28.4% for hybrid stage I. There was significant heterogeneity in case mix and mortality for different diagnosis/procedure cohorts across centers (eg, arterial switch operation/VSD, n = 7-42, mortality 0%-7.4%; Norwood procedure, n = 16-122, mortality 5.3%-25%).

CONCLUSIONS

Reporting of institutional case volumes and outcomes within well-defined diagnosis/procedure cohorts can enable centers to benchmark outcomes, understand trends in mortality, and direct quality improvement. When made public, this type of report could provide parents with information on institutional volumes and outcomes and allow them to better understand the experience of each program with operations for specific congenital heart defects.

Procedure-Specific Center Volume and Mortality After Infantile Congenital Heart Surgery

BACKGROUND

Regionalization of congenital heart surgery (CHS) has been proposed to improve postsurgical outcomes by increasing experience in the care of high-risk patients. We sought to determine whether procedure-specific center volume was associated with mortality after infantile CHS up to 3 years post-procedure.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 12,263 infants in the Pediatric Cardiac Care Consortium undergoing CHS between 1982 and 2003 at 46 centers within the United States. We used logistic regression to assess the association between procedure-specific center volume and mortality from discharge to 3 years post-procedure, accounting for clustering at the center level and adjusting for patient age and weight at surgery, chromosomal abnormality, and surgical era.

RESULTS

We found decreased odds for in-hospital mortality for Norwood procedures (odds ratio [OR] 0.955, 95% CI 0.935-0.976), arterial switch operations (OR 0.924, 95% CI 0.889-0.961), tetralogy of Fallot repairs (OR 0.975, 95% CI 0.956-0.995), Glenn shunts (OR 0.971, 95% CI 0.943-1.000), and ventricular septal defect closures (OR 0.974, 95% CI 0.964-0.985). The association persisted up to 3 years post-surgery for Norwood procedures (OR 0.971, 95% CI 0.955-0.988), arterial switches (OR 0.929, 95% CI 0.890-0.970), and ventricular septal defect closures (OR 0.986, 95% CI 0.977-0.995); however, after excluding deaths that occurred within the first 90 days of following surgery, we observed no association between center volume and mortality for any of the procedures studied.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that procedure-specific center volume is inversely associated with early postoperative mortality for infantile CHS across the complexity spectrum but has no measurable effect on later mortality.

The impact of transparency constraints on the efficiency of the Russian healthcare system: systematic literature review

There is an ongoing debate among researchers and policy-makers on how to make transparency a powerful tool of healthcare systems. This study addresses how the availability and accessibility of information about medical services to the general population affects healthcare outcomes in Russia. A systematic review was conducted and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviewing and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Transparency indicators of health facilities used in the world's most efficient healthcare systems are also reviewed. Although the increase of transparency in the Russian healthcare system is considered as a tool for improving its efficiency, very little has been done to improve the actual level of transparency. The existing institutional specifics of the Russian healthcare system impose serious restrictions on acceptable levels of transparency. In the reviewed empirical Russian studies, transparency is often viewed simplistically as either information available on the websites of medical organizations or issues related to the amount of accessible indicators of compulsory medical statistical reporting. The novelty of this study consists in (a) reviewing the most recent studies on the topic and (b) including studies in Russian in the analysis. We elaborate on general and specific policy implications for improving transparency-driven outcomes in the Russian healthcare system.

Regionalization of congenital cardiac surgical care: what it will take

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Decentralized, inconsistent healthcare delivery results in variable outcomes and wastes nearly one trillion dollars annually in the United States (US). Congenital heart surgery (CHS) is not immune due to high, variable costs and inconsistent outcomes across hospitals. Many European countries and Canada have addressed these issues by regionalizing CHS. Centralizing resources lowers costs, reduces in-hospital mortality and improves long-term survival. Although the impact on travel distance for patients is limited, the effect on healthcare disparities requires study. This review summarizes current data and integrates these into paths to regionalization through health policy, research, and academic collaboration.

RECENT FINDINGS

There are too many CHS programs in the US with unnecessarily high densities of centers in certain regions. This distribution lowers center and surgeon case volumes, creates redundancy, and increases variation in costs and outcomes. Simultaneously, adhering to suboptimal allocation impedes the understanding of optimal regionalization models to optimize congenital cardiac care delivery.

SUMMARY

CHS regionalization models developed for the US increase surgeon and center volume, decrease healthcare spending, and improve patient outcomes without substantially increasing travel distance. Regionalization in countries with few or no existing CHS programs is yet to be explored, but may be associated with more efficient spending and procedural complexity expansion.

Health Care Policy and Congenital Heart Disease: 2020 Focus on Our 2030 Future

The congenital heart care community faces a myriad of public health issues that act as barriers toward optimum patient outcomes. In this article, we attempt to define advocacy and policy initiatives meant to spotlight and potentially address these challenges. Issues are organized into the following 3 key facets of our community: patient population, health care delivery, and workforce. We discuss the social determinants of health and health care disparities that affect patients in the community that require the attention of policy makers. Furthermore, we highlight the many needs of the growing adults with congenital heart disease and those with comorbidities, highlighting concerns regarding the inequities in access to cardiac care and the need for multidisciplinary care. We also recognize the problems of transparency in outcomes reporting and the promising application of telehealth. Finally, we highlight the training of providers, measures of productivity, diversity in the workforce, and the importance of patient-family centered organizations in advocating for patients. Although all of these issues remain relevant to many subspecialties in medicine, this article attempts to illustrate the unique needs of this population and highlight ways in which to work together to address important opportunities for change in the cardiac care community and beyond. This article provides a framework for policy and advocacy efforts for the next decade.

Strong for Surgery: Association Between Bundled Risk Factors and Outcomes After Major Elective Surgery in the VA Population

BACKGROUND

Strong for Surgery (S4S) is a public health campaign focused on optimizing patient health prior to surgery by identifying evidence-based modifiable risk factors. The potential impact of S4S bundled risk factors on outcomes after major surgery has not been previously studied. This study tested the hypothesis that a higher number of S4S risk factors is associated with an escalating risk of complications and mortality after major elective surgery in the VA population.

METHODS

The Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program (VASQIP) database was queried for patients who underwent major non-emergent general, thoracic, vascular, urologic, and orthopedic surgeries between the years 2008 and 2015. Patients with complete data pertaining to S4S risk factors, specifically preoperative smoking status, HbA1c level, and serum albumin level, were stratified by number of positive risk factors, and perioperative outcomes were compared.

RESULTS

A total of 31,285 patients comprised the study group, with 16,630 (53.2%) patients having no S4S risk factors (S4S0), 12,323 (39.4%) having one (S4S1), 2,186 (7.0%) having two (S4S2), and 146 (0.5%) having three (S4S3). In the S4S1 group, 60.3% were actively smoking, 35.2% had HbA1c > 7, and 4.4% had serum albumin < 3. In the S4S2 group, 87.8% were smokers, 84.8% had HbA1c > 7, and 27.4% had albumin < 3. Major complications, reoperations, length of stay, and 30-day mortality increased progressively from S4S0 to S4S3 groups. S4S3 had the greatest adjusted mortality risk (adjusted odds radio [AOR] 2.56, p = 0.04) followed by S4S2 (AOR 1.58, p = 0.02) and S4S1 (AOR 1.34, p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

In the VA population, patients who had all three S4S risk factors, namely active smoking, suboptimal nutritional status, and poor glycemic control, had the greatest risk of postoperative mortality compared to patients with fewer S4S risk factors.

Improved National Outcomes Achieved in a Cardiac Learning Health Collaborative Based on Early Performance Level

OBJECTIVE

Within the National Pediatric Cardiology Quality Improvement Collaborative (NPC-QIC), a learning health network developed to improve outcomes for patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and variants, we assessed which centers contributed to reductions in mortality and growth failure.

STUDY DESIGN

Centers within the NPC-QIC were divided into tertiles based on early performance for mortality and separately for growth failure. These groups were evaluated for improvement from the early to late time period and compared with the other groups in the late time period.

RESULTS

Mortality was 3.8% for the high-performing, 7.6% for the medium-performing, and 14.4% for the low-performing groups in the early time period. Only the low-performing group had a significant change (P < .001) from the early to late period. In the late period, there was no difference in mortality between the high- (5.7%), medium- (7%), and low- (4.6%) performing centers (P = .5). Growth failure occurred in 13.9% for the high-performing, 21.9% for the medium-performing, and 32.8% for the low-performing groups in the early time period. Only the low-performing group had a significant change (P < .001) over time. In the late period, there was no significant difference in growth failure between the high- (19.8%), medium- (21.5%), and low- (13.5%) performing groups (P = .054).

CONCLUSIONS

Improvements in the NPC-QIC mortality and growth measures are primarily driven by improvement in those performing the worst in these areas initially without compromising the success of high-performing centers. Focus for improvement may vary by center based on performance.

Factors Affecting Surgical Decision-making-A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

Guidelines and Class 1 evidence are strong factors that help guide surgeons' decision-making, but dilemmas exist in selecting the best surgical option, usually without the benefit of guidelines or Class 1 evidence. A few studies have discussed the variability of surgical treatment options that are currently available, but no study has examined surgeons' views on the influential factors that encourage them to choose one surgical treatment over another. This study examines the influential factors and the thought process that encourage surgeons to make these decisions in such circumstances.

METHODS

Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 32 senior consultant surgeons, surgical fellows, and senior surgical residents at the University of Toronto teaching hospitals. An e-mail was sent out for volunteers, and interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and subjected to thematic analysis using open and axial coding.

RESULTS

Broadly speaking there are five groups of factors affecting surgeons' decision-making: medical condition, information, institutional, patient, and surgeon factors. When information factors such as guidelines and Class 1 evidence are lacking, the other four groups of factors-medical condition, institutional, patient, and surgeon factors (the last-mentioned likely being the most powerful)-play a significant role in guiding surgical decision-making.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first qualitative study on surgeons' perspectives on the influential factors that help them choose one surgical treatment option over another for their patients.

Current Interventional and Surgical Management of Congenital Heart Disease: Specific Focus on Valvular Disease and Cardiac Arrhythmias

Successful outcome in the care of patients with congenital heart disease depends on a comprehensive multidisciplinary team. Surgery is offered for almost every heart defect, despite complexity. Early mortality for cardiac surgery in the neonatal period is ≈10% and beyond infancy is <5%, with 90% to 95% of patients surviving with a good quality of life into the adult years. Advances in imaging have facilitated accurate diagnosis and planning of interventions and surgical procedures. Similarly, advances in the perioperative medical management of patients, particularly with intensive care, has also contributed to improving outcomes. Arrhythmias and heart failure are the most common late complications for the majority of defects, and reoperation for valvar problems is common. Lifelong surveillance for monitoring of recurrent or residual structural heart defects, as well as periodic assessment of cardiac function and arrhythmia monitoring, is essential for all patients. The field of congenital heart surgery is poised to incorporate new innovations such as bioengineered cells and scaffolds that will iteratively move toward bioengineered patches, conduits, valves, and even whole organs.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database Public Reporting Initiative

Three basic principles provide the rationale for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Congenital Heart Surgery Database (CHSD) public reporting initiative: (1) Variation in congenital and pediatric cardiac surgical outcomes exist. (2) Patients and their families have the right to know the outcomes of the treatments that they will receive. (3). It is our professional responsibility to share this information with them in a format they can understand. The STS CHSD public reporting initiative facilitates the voluntary transparent public reporting of congenital and pediatric cardiac surgical outcomes using the STS CHSD Mortality Risk Model. The STS CHSD Mortality Risk Model is used to calculate risk-adjusted operative mortality and adjusts for the following variables: age, primary procedure, weight (neonates and infants), prior cardiothoracic operations, non-cardiac congenital anatomic abnormalities, chromosomal abnormalities or syndromes, prematurity (neonates and infants), and preoperative factors (including preoperative/preprocedural mechanical circulatory support [intraaortic balloon pump, ventricular assist device, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or cardiopulmonary support], shock [persistent at time of surgery], mechanical ventilation to treat cardiorespiratory failure, renal failure requiring dialysis and/or renal dysfunction, preoperative neurological deficit, and other preoperative factors). Operative mortality is defined in all STS databases as (1) all deaths, regardless of cause, occurring during the hospitalization in which the operation was performed, even if after 30 days (including patients transferred to other acute care facilities); and (2) all deaths, regardless of cause, occurring after discharge from the hospital, but before the end of the 30^th postoperative day. The STS CHSD Mortality Risk Model has good model fit and discrimination with an overall C statistics of 0.875 and 0.858 in the development sample and the validation sample, respectively. These C statistics are the highest C statistics ever seen in a pediatric cardiac surgical risk model. Therefore, the STS CHSD Mortality Risk Model provides excellent adjustment for case mix and should mitigate against risk aversive behavior. The STS CHSD Mortality Risk Model is the best available model to date for measuring outcomes after pediatric cardiac surgery. As of March 2016, 60% of participants in STS CHSD have agreed to publicly report their outcomes through the STS Public Reporting Online website (http://www.sts.org/quality-research-patient-safety/sts-public-reporting-online). Although several opportunities exist to improve our risk models, the current STS CHSD public reporting initiative provides the tools to report publicly, and with meaning and accuracy, the outcomes of congenital and pediatric cardiac surgery.

Clinical Databases and Registries in Congenital and Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Cardiology, Critical Care, and Anesthesiology Worldwide

The growth in large-scale data management capabilities and the successful care of patients with congenital heart defects have coincidentally paralleled each other for the last three decades, and participation in multicenter congenital heart disease databases and registries is now a fundamental component of cardiac care. This manuscript attempts for the first time to consolidate in one location all of the relevant databases worldwide, including target populations, specialties, Web sites, and participation information. Since at least 1,992 cardiac surgeons and cardiologists began leveraging this burgeoning technology to create multi-institutional data collections addressing a variety of specialties within this field. Pediatric heart diseases are particularly well suited to this methodology because each individual care location has access to only a relatively limited number of diagnoses and procedures in any given calendar year. Combining multiple institutions data therefore allows for a far more accurate contemporaneous assessment of treatment modalities and adverse outcomes. Additionally, the data can be used to develop outcome benchmarks by which individual institutions can measure their progress against the field as a whole and focus quality improvement efforts in a more directed fashion, and there is increasing utilization combining clinical research efforts within existing data structures. Efforts are ongoing to support better collaboration and integration across data sets, to improve efficiency, further the utility of the data collection infrastructure and information collected, and to enhance return on investment for participating institutions.

Big Data and paediatric cardiovascular disease in the era of transparency in healthcare

The objectives of this review were to discuss the potential impact of Big Data analytics in paediatric cardiovascular disease and its potential to address the challenges of transparency in delivery of care to this unique population.

Ethical considerations of transparency, informed consent, and nudging in a patient with paediatric aortic stenosis and symptomatic left ventricular endocardial fibroelastosis

A 9-year-old boy who was born with bicuspid aortic stenosis underwent two unsuccessful aortic valvuloplasty interventions, and by 2 years of age he developed restrictive cardiomyopathy caused by left ventricular endocardial fibroelastosis and diastolic dysfunction. The attending cardiologist referred the patient to a high-volume, high-profile congenital cardiac surgical programme 1000 miles away that has a team with considerable experience with left ventricular endocardial fibroelastosis resection and a reputation of achieving good results. Owing to problems with insurance coverage, the parents sought other options for the care of their child in their home state. Dr George Miller is a well-respected local congenital and paediatric cardiac surgeon with considerable experience with the Ross operation as well as with right ventricular endocardial fibroelastosis resection. When talking with Dr Miller, he implied that there is little difference between right ventricular endocardial fibroelastosis and left ventricular endocardial fibroelastosis resection, and stated that he would perform the operation with low mortality based on his overall experience. Dr Miller stated that the local institution could provide an equivalent surgical procedure with comparable outcomes, without the patient and family having to travel out of state. A fundamental dilemma that often arises in clinical surgical practice concerns the conduct of assessing and performing new procedures, especially in rare cases, for which the collective global experience is scant. Although Dr Miller has performed right ventricular endocardial fibroelastosis resection, this procedure differs from left ventricular endocardial fibroelastosis resection, and he cannot be sure that he will indeed be able to perform the procedure better than the high-volume surgeon. This ethical situation is best understood in terms of the principles of respect for patient autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. The tension between the imperatives of beneficence and the obligation to respect the autonomy of the patient by acting only with the patient's best interest in mind is discussed.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database: 2016 Update on Outcomes and Quality

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database is the largest congenital and pediatric cardiac surgical clinical data registry in the world. It is the platform for all activities of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons related to the analysis of outcomes and the improvement of quality in this subspecialty. This article summarizes current aggregate national outcomes in congenital and pediatric cardiac surgery and reviews related activities in the areas of quality measurement, performance improvement, and transparency. The reported data about aggregate national outcomes are exemplified by an analysis of 10 benchmark operations performed from January 2011 to December 2014 and documenting overall discharge mortality (interquartile range among programs with more than 9 cases): off-bypass coarctation, 1.0% (0.0% to 0.9%); ventricular septal defect repair, 0.7% (0.0% to 1.1%); tetralogy of Fallot repair, 1.0% (0.0% to 1.7%); complete atrioventricular canal repair, 3.2% (0.0% to 6.5%); arterial switch operation, 2.7% (0.0% to 5.6%); arterial switch operation plus ventricular septal defect, 5.3% (0.0% to 6.7%); Glenn/hemiFontan, 2.1% (0.0% to 3.8%); Fontan operation, 1.4% (0.0% to 2.4%); truncus arteriosus repair, 9.6% (0.0 % to 11.8%); and Norwood procedure, 15.6% (10.0% to 21.4%).