Quality-indicators of hospitals and clinics in Switzerland:
Colon surgery, infection rate
For colon surgery, meaningful, risk-adjusted infection rates are currently available for 57 Swiss hospitals. 3'264 patients were monitored in these hospitals. The average hospital infection rate in colon surgery was 12.4%; the highest infection rate observed in a clinic was 35%. The lowest risk-adjusted infection rate in colon surgery was measured in the Clinique Générale-Beaulieu, Genève (0% hospital infection cases).
Measured as the ratio of expected and observed numbers of infections after certain types of surgery.
Strengths:
Infections are risky and associated with more distress. A low infection rate is an indicator of good hygiene and a high quality treatment process. The infection rates are risk adjusted by Swissnoso using three additional measurements. This elaborate form of risk adjustment fulfills high scientific standards.
Limits:
Unfortunately, infection rates are not available for all interventions. It is not sure that results are transferable to similar interventions. Also, infection rates are only meaningful when a sufficient number of cases is reached. Especially with interventions with a low risk of infections the needed number of cases is very high and is only reached by large hospitals. For small hospitals it is often not possible to give a meaningful statement (while small case numbers are per se unfavorable, especially with complex interventions).
4.5
4.0