Failure-to-Rescue Rates Predicted by Hospital Volume, Study Finds

Cardiovascular surgery patients at low-volume hospitals are 57 percent more likely to die from failure to rescue after a major postoperative complication than the same patients at high-volume hospitals, according to a study published in JAMA Surgery.

Using patient data from approximately 120,000 Medicare beneficiaries undergoing heart surgery, researchers examined whether increased mortality at lower-volume hospitals was more attributable to higher rates of postoperative complications or higher rates of failure to rescue.

Sign up for our FREE E-Weekly for more coverage like this sent to your inbox!

While a patient was 12 percent more likely to have a major postoperative complication at the lowest-volume hospitals than at the highest-volume hospitals, the patient was much more likely to die if a complication occurred.
The study suggests hospitals should strive to include failure-to-rescue interventions in improving surgical outcomes.

More Articles on Quality:

Note Sharing: The Way of the Future?

6 Stats on the Cost of Readmissions for CMS-Tracked Conditions

Presence of Pharmacists Heightens Medication Reconciliation Accuracy

Copyright © 2025 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.


You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information, please review our Privacy Policy
.
 

Articles We Think You'll Like