Plastic surgery clinical quality indicators

The clinical quality indicators for plastic surgery are:

 

Infection rate after surgery

This is the clinical quality indicator for the rate of clinical infection following general, implant and hand trauma surgery. Lower is better.

Rationale

Post-operative infection can lead to pain, poor wound healing, a need for further treatment, and other serious morbidity.

A low post-operative infection rate is indicative of good clinical care. Monitoring the rate of surgical site infection identifies weaknesses and creates opportunities to make improvements to clinical care.

Our objectives

There is no national benchmark so we will develop our own goals in the light of initial findings.

Comment on current performance

Expected in Spring 2014.

 

Readmission rate after surgery

This is the clinical quality indicator for the rate of emergency readmission within 30 days of having a plastic surgery procedure, as a day-case or in-patient. Lower is better.

Rationale

Readmission rates can be an indicator of the quality of patient care.

Our objectives

We will develop our goals in the light of initial findings.

Comment on current objectives

Expected in Spring 2014.

 

Skin cancer

This is the clinical quality indicator for the rate of complete excision of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma lesions. Higher is better.

Rationale

Complete surgical excision is important to reducing the risk of recurrence and distant spread (for squamous cell carcinoma). Incomplete excision may necessitate further treatment.

Published series suggest that around 10% of skin cancers are incompletely excised.

Our objectives

We will aim for more than 90% of these skin cancers to be completely excised.

Comment on current performance

Expected in Summer 2014