BMJ  2003;327:563 (6 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7414.563-b

Letter

Surgeon specific mortality in adult cardiac surgery

Quality of data is important

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—I fully support the use of risk stratified mortality data in preference to crude mortality data if surgeon specific comparisons are to be published. The quality of such information depends on the rigour with which data are collected. Bridgewater et al took great care to ensure completeness and accuracy of data, including prospective collection of data, such that only 2% of data were missing. This adds considerable weight to their conclusions.1

If such methods are to be used nationally, there must be equally robust validation of the data collection process in all institutions to prevent potential information bias. There is a danger that data will be collected retrospectively, and the investment in, and quality of, coding and record keeping varies greatly between institutions. For example, the absence of data on comorbidities or the failure to code them will result in a low estimate of expected mortality and falsely . . . [Full text of this article]

David R Walker, director of public health

County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority, Teesdale House, Stockton on Tees TS17 6BL david.walker@cdtvha.nhs.uk


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to StumbleUpon StumbleUpon   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Article

Surgeon specific mortality in adult cardiac surgery: comparison between crude and risk stratified data
Ben Bridgewater, Anthony D Grayson, Mark Jackson, Nicholas Brooks, Geir J Grotte, Daniel J M Keenan, Russell Millner, Brian M Fabri, and Mark Jones
BMJ 2003 327: 13-17. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Access jobs at BMJ Careers
Whats new online at Student BMJ