Quality indicators for hospitals and clinics in Switzerland:
Heart valve replacement, infection rate
Meaningful, risk-adjusted infection rates for heart valve replacement are currently available for 4 Swiss hospitals. 627 patients were followed in these hospitals. The average hospital infection rate for heart valve replacement was 1.6%; the highest infection rate observed in one hospital was 3.1%. The lowest risk-adjusted infection rate for heart valve replacement was measured at the Inselspital Bern (Teil der Insel Gruppe) (0.3% nosocomial infections).
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).
on September 10 I got a biological heart valve - surgery went well, had no pain afterwards and good care. 19 years after that I now need to have second surgery. I'm 46 and have again decided to go to Bodensee clinic
transl. from german, date of rating: 22.08.2020
The data on this page was last updated on July 26, 2024.
