Association between surgeon technical skills and patient outcomes.

Jonah J. Stulberg; Reiping Huang; Lindsey Kreutzer; Kristen A. Ban; Bradley J Champagne; Scott E Steele; Julie K Johnson; Jane L. Holl; Caprice C. Greenberg; Karl Y. Bilimoria

Commentary

Emerging Classic

Association between surgeon technical skills and patient outcomes.

September 9, 2020

Stulberg JJ, Huang R, Kreutzer L, et al. JAMA Surg. 2022;157(3):219-220.

View more articles from the same authors.

This study examined variation in operative technical skills among patients undergoing colorectal and non-colorectal procedures and the association with patient outcomes. Higher technical skills were significantly associated with lower rates of complications, unplanned reoperations, and death or serious morbidity. The findings suggest that this skill variation accounts for more than 25% of the variation in patient outcomes.

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