Annals of surgery
-
: Quality measurement is at the heart of efforts to achieve high-quality surgical and medical care at a lower cost. Without accurate quality measures, it is not possible to appropriately align incentives with quality. ⋯ Performance measures need to be credible in order for physicians and hospitals to willingly partner with payers in efforts to improve population outcomes. Our goal in creating this position paper is to promote the transparency of NQF evaluations, improve the quality of performance measurements, and engage surgeons and all other stakeholders to work together to advance the science of performance measurement.
-
To define the impact of perioperative treatment with probiotics or synbiotics on postoperative outcome in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. ⋯ Probiotics and synbiotics are safe and effective nutritional adjuncts in reducing postoperative infective complications in elective abdominal surgery. The treatment effects are greatest with synbiotics.