Surgeon-specific mortality data disguise wider failings in delivery of safe surgical services.
Westaby S, De Silva R, Petrou M, et al. Surgeon-specific mortality data disguise wider failings in delivery of safe surgical services. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2015;47(2):341-5. doi:10.1093/ejcts/ezu380.
This chart review study found that most perioperative deaths were not due to surgical error and advocates for focusing on failure to rescue rather than surgeon-specific mortality data in public reporting. The authors believe that emphasizing failure to rescue can promote a systems approach to reduce surgical mortality rates.