Scotland: Death rates for each surgeon are published

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | February 7, 2006 | Auslan Cramb

[Stoat]

Death rates for each surgeon are published

By Auslan Cramb, Scottish Correspondent
(Filed: 07/02/2006)

The patient death rates for every surgeon in Scotland were published yesterday amid warnings that a league table of surgeons would be "meaningless and misleading".

The figures were released following requests under the Freedom of Information Act. In England and Wales, death rate figures for heart bypass surgery have been published by cardiac surgeons but the Scottish statistics are understood to be the most comprehensive published in any country.

They detail the name of every surgeon, the hospitals in which he or she has operated, the number of patients treated and the mortality rate.

They were made available by the NHS following a ruling by Scotland's information commissioner, Kevin Dunion, after a request from journalists from two newspapers.

But Dr Harry Burns, Scotland's chief medical officer, said the bare statistics were "meaningless" and open to serious misinterpretation.

There are fears in the medical profession that they will be used to identify the country's "worst surgeon", and could prompt doctors to turn down cases in which a patient's survival is not assured.

Dr Burns said: "As a former surgeon myself, I am concerned about how the data might be misinterpreted."

He added that the severity of the illness, and other conditions unrelated to the surgery, could all influence the outcome of an operation. "Many of those surgeons with the highest mortality rates are the heroes of the health service," said Dr Burns. "They make the difference between life and death. But inevitably, the hardest cases, the sickest patients, have the least chance of survival."

Mr Dunion defended the decision, saying surgeons should have no fears about being subjected to a witch-hunt.

[Stoat]

Release of Mortality Data for Surgeons in Scotland - NHS National Services Scotland

[Onelifetogive]

Statistics like these can be VERY misleading...

If I recall correctly, Arizona is one of the worst states statistically for lung disease.....because it has the best air quality!

[WayneS]

That's a good idea.

[blau993]

Ah yes. Further advances in critical thinking from those that subscribe to the old axiom that because so many people die in hospitals, hospitals must be the leading cause of death.

[ricardobaltazar]

I don't want to go to the hospital.

People die there. :o

[MeanWestTexan]

Maybe, but the best surgeons get the hardest cases, which have less desirable results.

[mtbopfuyn]

apples and oranges

[WayneS]

Understood. By I, being a free and somewhat intelligent individual, am capable of analyzing such statistics for myself.

[M203M4]

I hope this doesn't lead to surgeons turning down near-hopeless cases out of fear that patients requiring less complicated versions of the same procedure will opt for an experienced surgeon whose record has not been "artificially" blemished by taking on desperate cases with low chances of success.

[M203M4]

Oops I meant to say:

...will opt for an INexperienced...

[Mark Felton]

I'd like to know the statistics for death rates caused by errors in surgical procedure.

The death rates alone could be very misleading and damaging to perfectly excellent surgeons.

Perhaps surgeons would only take cases that are low risk.

[xenophiles]

Maybe a betting pool would be a better indicator. Anyone can offer a bet, including physicians who have access to the patient's medical history, so the odds will tend to stabilize at a pretty good estimate of the patient's actual chances. And it could double as a very handy form of insurance (both life and malpractice).

Now if only I can solve the privacy problem and the danger of a surgeon "throwing the game"...

[Stoat]

I hope this doesn't lead to surgeons turning down near-hopeless cases out of fear that patients requiring less complicated versions of the same procedure will opt for an experienced surgeon whose record has not been "artificially" blemished by taking on desperate cases with low chances of success.
 

My fear exactly, as well as the knowledge that if any statistic is published, one can rest assured that it will indeed be twisted and misinterpreted by the press.

A set of statistics such as this is utterly meaningless on it's own without context, and the mammoth amount of data required to provide context is beyond the scope of most media outlets to provide and is also beyond the attention span of most people to convey accurately.

This is a very sad day for the people of Scotland and for the practice and science of medicine.  A damaging precedent has now been set, and the question will now be "why doesn't OUR country publish such statistics?"

We've seen somewhat similar things happen in other arenas of human endeavor; law enforcement comes to mind.  I recall 'news' stories of police shootings, where the press brings up previous shooting(s) by the same officer, with the obvious attempt being to smear the officer as a 'rogue cop with an itchy trigger finger' while not considering the possibility that this may instead be a GREAT cop who is working in a high-crime area and so is more prone to encounter violent felons.

[redhead]

"If I recall correctly, Arizona is one of the worst states statistically for lung disease.....because it has the best air quality!"

LOL! Probably because the people who make up these statistics don't believe ALASKA is a real state.

[LexBaird]

Hellooo everybody!

[Onelifetogive]

Probably because the people who make up these statistics don't believe ALASKA is a real state.

It's a real state, it's just too far to go when your lungs are caked-up with California smog...

[Emmalein]

The results, unless categorized properly, could be very misleading and easily misconstrued. If you compare a surgeon on call for an emergency room to a surgeon who deals with surgery for sports injuries (torn ligaments, etc.), you are comparing apples to oranges.

[dinoparty]

What a dumbass idea. Now surgeons will be encouraged to pad their statistics by taking only easy cases.

[LexBaird]

A set of statistics such as this is utterly meaningless on it's own without context, and the mammoth amount of data required to provide context is beyond the scope of most media outlets to provide and is also beyond the attention span of most people to convey accurately.

20% of the time Bad Things occur during the first six days of the month, but I haven't the time to post the specifics.

[LexBaird]

Alaska has clean air, but you have to chip it out and thaw it before it does you any good.