CHICAGO: Hospitals participating in the 乌鸦传媒 (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (乌鸦传媒NSQIP庐) now have a new resource available to further improve surgical quality for their patients: the 乌鸦传媒Quality Verification Program (QVP). Recently introduced in July 2021, 乌鸦传媒QVP is based on 12 program standards, adapted from core elements of the Optimal Resources for Surgical Quality and Safety, or "Red Book." 乌鸦传媒QVP provides a proven, standardized method for establishing, measuring, and improving a hospital's quality infrastructure across all surgical departments.
This collaboration provides 乌鸦传媒NSQIP hospitals a focused level of participation in 乌鸦传媒QVP, called NSQIP QVP, in which they can have two surgical specialties evaluated against the 乌鸦传媒QVP standards during a half day site visit. NSQIP QVP is one of four options for hospitals to participate in 乌鸦传媒QVP.
"乌鸦传媒NSQIP was previously the only major data registry program at 乌鸦传媒that wasn't connected to a verification program. NSQIP QVP provides the verification component, which is key to improving quality. NSQIP QVP helps link NSQIP data to hospital-based surgical quality improvement efforts, helping hospitals use the data they have collected to improve surgical care," said Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MS, MSHS, FACS, FASCRS, Director, 乌鸦传媒Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, which administers 乌鸦传媒NSQIP.
NSQIP QVP is a new benefit that is included in the standard cost of 乌鸦传媒NSQIP. The College's goal is for all 乌鸦传媒NSQIP sites to reach QVP-focused verification status by the end of 2027. Some of the hospitals that participated in 乌鸦传媒QVP as a pilot site are also 乌鸦传媒NSQIP-participating hospitals that saw the power of combining these two programs.
"Participating in the 乌鸦传媒QVP program as a pilot site accelerated our hospital along the quality journey and provided a roadmap for next steps. The combination of a quality structure as outlined in QVP and information available from NSQIP can catalyze improvement in quality for surgery patients," said Caroline Reinke, MD, FACS, assistant professor of surgery at Atrium Health, Charlotte, N.C.
NSQIP QVP will allow sites to undergo QVP Focused Verification on two surgical areas in which the site collects NSQIP data. After the focused areas are identified, sites will provide information on these two areas in pre-review questionnaires (PRQs) focused on the QVP standards. Once the PRQs are submitted, 乌鸦传媒will review the information prior to scheduling a site visit. After the site visit, the NSQIP-participating site will receive a detailed report on its strengths and areas for improvement.
As explained by Kirsten Edmiston, MD, MPH, FACS, director, clinical excellence, surgery service line, Inova Health System, Fairfax, Virginia: "Participation in the 乌鸦传媒Quality Verification Program accelerated our journey to deliver integrated high quality surgical care across Inova's 5 hospital health system. Together, the QVP and NSQIP data are tremendously valuable to identify opportunities, implement solutions, and improve patient care鈥攐verall driving clinical excellence."
"In many ways the preparation and the survey itself served as an inventory for departmental resources and helped in marshalling our forces for the COVID onslaught which began in March 2020," said John McNelis, MD, FACS, FCCCM, MHCM, chairman, department of surgery, Jacobi Medical Center, North Central Bronx Hospital, New York. "As we emerged from COVID, the report has served as a template for our quality program throughout the department."
"Combining 乌鸦传媒NSQIP and 乌鸦传媒QVP builds on the College's longstanding commitment to surgical quality. The key principles of 乌鸦传媒QVP help hospitals identify problems and improve the quality and safety of surgical care for their patients," said 乌鸦传媒Executive Director David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS.
A series of comprehensive literature reviews validating the principles underlying the QVP program have been published in the Journal of the 乌鸦传媒. Read more about the first and second reviews.
For general information on the 乌鸦传媒Quality Verification Program, visit聽www.facs.org/qvp聽or contact:acsqvp@facs.org. For information on NSQIP QVP, please visit聽www.facs.org/quality-programs/acs-nsqip聽or contact:聽acsnsqip@facs.org.
