December 12, 2017

Impact of reducing postop complications in bariatric Medicare patients

Editor's Note

Hospitals with the largest reductions in serious complications after bariatric surgery had the greatest decrease in per-patient Medicare payments, this study finds.

Analyzing 37,329 Medicare patients undergoing bariatric surgery from 2005 to 2006 and 2013 to 2014, researchers found a strong association between reductions in complications and decreased Medicare payments.

The top 20% of hospitals had a decrease in complications of 7.3% and average per-patient savings of $4,861. The bottom 20% of hospitals had a decrease in complications of 0.8% and average per-patients savings of $2,814.

The findings show the potential savings associated with quality improvement in high-risk surgical procedures, the authors say.

 

Read More >>

Join our community

Learn More
Video Spotlight
Live chat by BoldChat