The quality of surgical care varies widely in the United States, and identifying appropriate quality indicators is essential. Our current paradigm of quality assessment in surgery primarily focuses on clinical outcomes, such as complication rates, mortality, and readmission. This approach effectively captures perioperative safety and technical performance, but overlooks the patient perspective. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs), such as self-reported health status, function, and quality of life, could offer a more complete assessment of quality. However, little is known about their potential as a quality metric. This proposal will explore the determinants of variation in PROs at the hospital and surgeon level, their advantages and limitations as an indicator of quality, and their value and application for patients considering surgery. In addition to the innovative research plan, this proposal will provide the career development candidate (Dr. Jennifer Waljee) with a rich methodological training and mentorship experience. The research proposal focuses specifically on the variation of PROs at the population level for four surgical conditions: bariatric, urologic, wrist, and spine surgery. These conditions were chosen from the regional surgical collaborative quality improvement programs led by the University of Michigan at the Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy with funding from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan/Blue Care Network. Each of these collaborative programs gathers clinical and patient-reported data from patients undergoing surgery from each participating hospital, and is a unique clinical laboratory to study PROs across hospitals and surgeons on a population-based level. The proposal's research aims include (1) examining the variation in PROs across hospitals and surgeons, and the patient, surgeon, and hospital-level factors that drive this variation; (2) the extent to which PROs are independent measures of quality compared with clinical outcomes; and (3) the way in which patients might use PROs in conjunction with clinical outcomes as measures of hospital and surgeon performance. This project, the multidisciplinary mentorship team, and the research environment are ideally suited to address the career goals and educational needs of Dr. Waljee. Her prior research experience examining PROs following surgery has prepared her to conduct the work outlined in this proposal. However, to achieve her career goal of improving quality assessment in surgery by integrating patient reported outcomes as performance measures, she will need additional training. Her educational goals, including obtaining expertise in survey research, advanced statistical methods for comparing provider performance, and approaches to healthcare organization and policy, are feasible with the grant's educational plan and highly accomplished mentorship team. This proposal includes graduate-level courses in each educational component as well as interactive research seminars and one-on-one mentorship through project-based learning. In summary, this research project, mentorship team, and educational plan will lay the groundwork for Dr. Waljee to perform ongoing and innovative research to improve quality assessment in surgery, and mature as an independent surgeon scientist.

Public Health Relevance

This project will examine the use of patient-reported outcomes to measure of surgical quality for commonly performed procedures, drawing on data gathered by regional surgical collaboratives. We will explore an approach for risk adjustment, and the hospital and surgeon factors that underlie the variation of patient- reported outcomes. Additionally, we will examine the interplay between traditional quality measures (clinical outcomes), and patient-reported outcomes to understand the extent to which patient reported outcomes provide unique and useful information regarding performance. Integrating patient experiences and perspectives will align with many reforms outlined in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, and has clear relevance for large payers and policy makers charged with identifying optimal measures of quality. More broadly, findings from this proposal will help researchers, clinician leaders, and policymakers understand a patient-centered approach to value-based care.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Type
Clinical Investigator Award (CIA) (K08)
Project #
5K08HS023313-04
Application #
9353305
Study Section
HSR Health Care Research Training SS (HCRT)
Program Officer
Willis, Tamara
Project Start
2014-09-30
Project End
2018-09-29
Budget Start
2017-09-30
Budget End
2018-09-29
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Department
Surgery
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
073133571
City
Ann Arbor
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48109
Lee, Jay S; Parashar, Vartika; Miller, Jacquelyn B et al. (2018) Opioid Prescribing After Curative-Intent Surgery: A Qualitative Study Using the Theoretical Domains Framework. Ann Surg Oncol 25:1843-1851
Kelley, Brian P; Chung, Kevin C; Chung, Ting-Ting et al. (2018) Postoperative Ketorolac in Breast and Body Contouring Procedures: A Nationwide Claims Analysis. Plast Reconstr Surg 142:472e-480e
Lee, Jay S; Hu, Hsou M; Brummett, Chad M et al. (2017) Postoperative Opioid Prescribing and the Pain Scores on Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey. JAMA 317:2013-2015
Aliu, Oluseyi; Zhong, Lin; Chetta, Matthew D et al. (2017) Comparing Health Care Resource Use between Implant and Autologous Reconstruction of the Irradiated Breast: A National Claims-Based Assessment. Plast Reconstr Surg 139:1224e-1231e
Chetta, Matthew D; Aliu, Oluseyi; Zhong, Lin et al. (2017) Reconstruction of the Irradiated Breast: A National Claims-Based Assessment of Postoperative Morbidity. Plast Reconstr Surg 139:783-792
Waljee, Jennifer F; Cron, David C; Steiger, Rena M et al. (2017) Effect of Preoperative Opioid Exposure on Healthcare Utilization and Expenditures Following Elective Abdominal Surgery. Ann Surg 265:715-721
Waljee, Jennifer F; Dimick, Justin B (2017) Do Patient-Reported Outcomes Correlate with Clinical Outcomes Following Surgery? Adv Surg 51:141-150
Sears, Erika D; Momoh, Adeyiza O; Chung, Kevin C et al. (2017) A National Study of the Impact of Delayed Flap Timing for Treatment of Patients with Deep Sternal Wound Infection. Plast Reconstr Surg 140:390-400
Carlozzi, N E; Schilling, S G; Lai, J-S et al. (2016) HDQLIFE: the development of two new computer adaptive tests for use in Huntington disease, Speech Difficulties, and Swallowing Difficulties. Qual Life Res 25:2417-2427
Waljee, Jennifer F; Zhong, Lin; Hou, Hechuan et al. (2016) The Use of Opioid Analgesics following Common Upper Extremity Surgical Procedures: A National, Population-Based Study. Plast Reconstr Surg 137:355e-364e

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