Heart surgeons' performance to be posted online in transparency drive

[Northerner]

Patients undergoing heart surgery will have access to an unprecedented wealth of data about survival rates and the performance of their surgeon and hospital unit from Monday.

The Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery (SCTS) said it is launching a new website aimed at giving precise information on specific operation outcomes.

Ben Bridgewater, a consultant cardiac surgeon at the University Hospital of South Manchester and one of the main advocates for the new site, said patients would now be able to access "the most contemporaneous [surgical] data" available.

Previously, Bridgewater said this level of data had only been published in paper form every three years and could only be accessed by professionals.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/18/heart-surgeons-performance-online-transparency

 

[LeeLee]

Hmmm. I wonder how many will be able to interpret that data? For example, some centres/surgeons will take on more complicated and therefore risky cases, so their figures could look bad compared to those who only do routine stuff.

 

[Northerner]

Hmmm. I wonder how many will be able to interpret that data? For example, some centres/surgeons will take on more complicated and therefore risky cases, so their figures could look bad compared to those who only do routine stuff.

Yes, I think this has long been the argument about releasing such information - it's not as simple as 'ah, this surgeon saves nearly everyone, I'll have him', or 'this surgeon is clearly a butcher with shaky hands, better steer clear!' 🙄