Novel Approaches to Global Benchmarking of Risk-Adjusted Surgical Outcomes

Background Despite the existence of multiple validated risk-assessment and quality benchmarking tools in surgery, their utility outside of High Income Countries is limited. We sought to derive, validate and apply a scoring system that is both 1) feasible, and 2) reliably predicts mortality in a Middle Income Country (MIC) context. Methods A 5-step methodology was used: 1. Development of a de novo surgical outcomes database modeled around the American College of Surgeons’ National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) in South Africa (SA Dataset) 2. Use of the resultant data to identify all predictors of in-hospital death with more than 90% capture indicating feasibility of collection 3. Use these predictors to derive and validate an integer-based score that reliably predicts in-hospital death in the 2012 ACS-NSQIP 4. Apply the score in the original SA dataset and demonstrate it’s performance 5. Identify threshold cutoffs of the score to prompt action and drive quality improvement. Results Following Step one-three above, the 13 point Codman’s score was derived and validated on 211,737 and 109,079 patients, respectively, and includes: 1) age≥65 (1), partially or completely dependent functional status (1), preoperative transfusions≥4 units (1), emergency operation (2), sepsis or septic shock (2) American Society of Anesthesia (ASA) score ≥3 (3) and operative procedure (1-3). Application of the score to 373 patients in the SA dataset showed good discrimination and calibration to predict an inhospital death. A Codman Score of 8 is an optimal cutoff point for defining expected and unexpected deaths. Conclusion We have designed a novel risk prediction score specific for a MIC context. The Codman Score can prove useful for both 1) preoperative decision-making and 2) benchmarking the quality of surgical care in MIC’s

Implementation of a structured surgical quality improvement programme

As surgery assumes a greater position in the global health agenda, the need to not only improve access to surgical care but also improve the quality of surgical care, is paramount. Surgical quality improvement programmes have been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality following surgery. A key first step to the design and implementation of a structured surgical quality improvement programme is the collection and analysis of high-quality data. To quote Dr. Margaret Chan, the director general of the World Health Organisation, '…the real need (in global health) is to close the data gaps, especially in low and middle-income countries, so that we no longer have to rely heavily on statistical modeling for data on disease burden.' In this thesis it was hypothesized that emerging m-Health technology, defined as medical and public health practices supported by the use of mobile devices, would provide a solution to close such data gaps. Various m-Health applications were used to develop three databases describing the outcomes of major surgery performed within the Cape Metro West health district during the study period. After reviewing the design and analytical rationale of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Programme and Trauma Quality Improvement Programme, these de novo databases were used to develop three quality improvement programmes designed for local implementation: The Essentials programme for general and vascular surgery, a Procedure-targeted programme and a trauma quality improvement programme. Key to these programmes was the derivation and validation of prediction rules which reliably estimate the probability of an adverse outcome following major surgery in a risk-adjusted manner. Such rules promote internal and external benchmarking over time to identify opportunities for quality improvement and critically appraise the impact of any corrective action implemented. In order to improve the quality of surgical care we provide, a continuous cycle of monitoring, assessment, and management should be performed routinely. This thesis provides some guidance of how this can be done within the Cape Metro West health district

Measuring Industry Managerial Discretion: A Comparative Study in the UK

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI linkPurpose – The theory of managerial discretion and the direct insights it provides in the understanding of the varying impact strategic and operational actions have on organizational change and business fortunes is an area of research potential underexplored in the UK. This study aims to establish whether the measurement of managerial discretion is constant between the two similar societal corporate frameworks of the UK and the USA listed markets. Design/methodology/approach – The extant managerial discretion ranking model, established in the USA, is empirically assessed for its validity and effectiveness across a sample of high- and low-discretion companies from the FTSE 350. Findings – Using accounting measures, a clear and significant difference is established between UK high and low managerial discretion entities. The results prove to be significant in enabling the differential comparative analysis of the institutional characteristics of corporates. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study of this nature has been conducted previously in the UK context. While the original model developed in the USA is now several decades old, the UK results reflect similar industry rankings as found originally in the USA, subject to some differences considered to be a result of the changing nature of global business since the 1990s. This study opens a new seam of novel research, which has the potential to uncover, at a granular level, the differential mores and character of management ethics, styles and practices in such issues as organizational change, corporate culture, governance and social responsibility

Collaboration is key to strengthening surgical research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa

The paucity of research in areas of greatest clinical need must be addressed urgently. We propose a model of collaboration in an era of information systems and emerging mobile health technology that has had significant success across the UK and has shown early encouraging results in South Africa (SA). We foresee that recent examples of surgical research collaboratives in SA will continue to promote regional, national and international ‘hub-and-spoke’ models and ultimately increase the South-South collaboration that is urgently needed to diffuse the skills and knowledge required to address the unmet surgical need in sub-Saharan Africa

Collaboration is key to strengthening surgical research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa

Background. GlobalSurg-1 was a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study conducted to address the global lack of surgical outcomes data. Six South African (SA) hospitals participated in the landmark surgical outcomes study. In this subsequent study, we collated the data from these six local participants and hypothesised that the location of surgery was an independent risk factor for an adverse outcome following emergency intraperitoneal surgery.Methods. Participating hospitals contributed 30-day outcomes data of consecutive emergency intraperitoneal surgical operations performed during a 2-week period between July and November 2014. The six heterogeneous hospital cohorts were compared by categorical confounders. The primary outcome measure was in-hospital mortality; secondary outcome measures were in-hospital morbidity and length of stay of >14 days. The unadjusted association between hospital and adverse outcome and the univariate association between categorical confounders and adverse outcome were tested. Significant associations were further tested by a multivariate stepwise forward logistic regression model built for each outcome of interest.Results. Six hospitals (designated 1 - 6) contributed outcomes data for 169 operations. The mean age of the patients was 34.9 years (range 9 - 82), 116 (68.6%) were male, and the majority (37.2%) presented as a result of trauma. Hospital 5 was associated with 76-fold increased odds of in-hospital death and 58-fold increased odds of a major in-hospital complication, and hospital 3 was associated with 3-fold increased odds of any in-hospital complication. The final model predicting in-hospital death had a receiver operating characteristic curve statistic of 0.8892.Conclusion. The hospital is an independent risk factor for risk-adjusted adverse outcomes following emergency intraperitoneal surgery in SA

Human junctophilin-2 undergoes a structural rearrangement upon binding PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 and the S101R mutation identified in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy obviates this response

JP2 (junctophilin-2) is believed to hold the transverse tubular and jSR (junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum) membranes in a precise geometry that facilitates excitation–contraction coupling in cardiomyocytes. We have expressed and purified human JP2 and shown using electron microscopy that the protein forms elongated structures ~15 nm long and 2 nm wide. Employing lipid-binding assays and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation we have determined that JP2 is selective for PS (phosphatidylserine), with a K(d) value of ~0.5 μM, with the N-terminal domain mediating this interaction. JP2 also binds PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3) at a different site than PS, resulting in the protein adopting a more flexible conformation; this interaction is modulated by both Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) ions. We show that the S101R mutation identified in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy leads to modification of the protein secondary structure, forming a more flexible molecule with an increased affinity for PS, but does not undergo a structural transition in response to binding PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3). In conclusion, the present study provides new insights into the structural and lipid-binding properties of JP2 and how the S101R mutation may have an effect upon the stability of the dyad organization with the potential to alter JP2–protein interactions regulating Ca(2+) cycling

Guest Editorial: Collaboration is key to strengthening surgical research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa

No Abstrac