Surgery

Surgery

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Since 2011, we’ve aimed to advance surgical care quality through evidence-based, data-driven programs which decrease complications and infections as well as provide better outcomes for the 200,000 British Columbians who undergo surgery each year.

On May 7, 2020, the BC Ministry of Health released A Commitment to Surgical Renewal in BC to provide surgeries to patients in the safest way possible, based on patient need. This plan includes a timeline for May – August 2020, an overview of how COVID-19 affected surgeries and an outline of five steps for surgical renewal. As well, updated clinical guidelines from the BC Centre for Disease Control are key to the plan’s success.

Surgical Quality Action Network

We lead the Surgical Quality Action Network, whose 450 members use innovative approaches to engage patients as well as track and evaluate patient outcomes through the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

The network also works to improve teamwork and communication among surgical teams because while good surgical outcomes depend on technical excellence, a surgical team’s performance is also affected by the cognitive and inter-personal skills that team members bring to the job.

Learn More & Join the Network

National Surgical Quality Improvement Program

The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) was implemented in 2011 as a measurement system to help understand the safety and effectiveness dimensions of surgical quality in British Columbia.

Twenty-four sites are currently part of a BC NSQIP collaborative which we support in a number of ways, from providing data support to strengthening engagement between sites through webinars and learning opportunities.

Learn More About NSQIP

Key Resources

NSQIP Report: Improved Outcomes = Improved Access

This report reviews data collected by NSQIP sites between 2011-2015, in order to understand the impact on local improvement efforts, provincial surgical improvement initiatives, and surgical team environments. These data show that NSQIP improved care and outcomes for surgical patients across BC.

Read the Report

The 10K: 10,000 Reasons to Race for Infection Prevention

In 2015, we launched an improvement collaborative to reduce infections occurring after surgery. With 10,000 surgical patients in BC suffering from a surgical site infection (SSI) or urinary tract infection (UTI) each year, the “10K” focused on 10,000 Reasons to Race for Infection Prevention and aimed to reduce SSIs and UTIs at participating teams’ sites.

Read the Report

Tackling Complex Problems with Team-Based Solutions: NSQIP in BC 2014

NSQIP in British Columbia expanded dramatically since two hospitals started the program in 2006, growing to 24 participating hospitals in 2014. BC’s NSQIP sites responded to the challenge of reacting in a timely manner to their initial data and worked towards improving patient care across all areas of surgery. This report covers these past 3.5 years, gains have been made in several areas that have improved patient outcomes, reduced complications and saved lives.

Read the Report

NSQIP 2.5 Years After Start Up: Is It Worth It?

In 2011, hospitals were offered the opportunity to join the most robust surgical outcome program in the world: NSQIP, which is coordinated by the American College of Surgeons. This report collates the findings from the July 2013 risk-adjusted reports and local stories across 23 participating sites in BC.

Read the Report

View All Surgical Resources