The Classic: A Study in Hospital Efficiency: As Demonstrated by the Case Report of First Five Years of Private Hospital

Abstract

This is an abridged version of the Classic Article by E.A. Codman,

Editor's Spotlight/Take 5: Nationwide Inpatient Sample and National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Give Different Results in Hip Fracture Studies

“…3. Must compare their results with those of other hospitals…'' [3] Dr. Codman's dreams -outcomes research and registries -now are familiar tools to us. More recently, orthopaedic clinician-scientists have mined large public, nonprofit, and private-payer databases such as the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) and the National Inpatient Sample (NIS).…”

Not the Last Word: Choosing Wisely

“…Codman's personal investment in transparently reporting outcomes for an ''End Result Hospital'' in Boston was a financial failure [18]. In the nearly 100 years since, the medical profession has been unwilling to do so [31], but the federal government is taking steps to report patient experience and outcomes, and link different data sources together.…”

Editorial Comment—Symposium: Patient Safety: Collaboration, Communication, and Physician Leadership

“…The number of publications in peer-reviewed and nonpeer reviewed publications as well as books continue to increase rapidly. Problems have been identified, process improvements have been made, technology aids have been developed, but major issues remain, such as a lack of public reporting of outcomes of treatment by physicians and hospitals as advocated by Codman more than 100 years ago [2], and the fact that medical errors continue at too great a rate.…”