Defining Expanded Episode-Based Surgical Quality Measurement Across Procedures

This report summarizes a study employing three modified Delphi panels to develop an episode-based model of surgical quality measurement. The resulting framework defines quality across the full care episode, spanning preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative phases.

The work focuses on three elective procedures: carpal tunnel release, inguinal hernia repair, and total knee arthroplasty. The aim is to standardize evaluation of care elements within a defined surgical episode rather than isolated perioperative metrics.

Key elements include delineation of care phases and the integration of processes and outcomes relevant to each phase to form a cohesive quality assessment. The proposed model seeks to capture value across the entire episode, potentially enabling more comprehensive benchmarking and improvement efforts for common elective surgeries.

Because the source only provides high-level description of the method and target procedures, specific metrics, definitions, or resulting performance findings are not disclosed in the available content. Consequently, uncertainty remains regarding the exact measurement items, weighting, and how the model compares to existing quality measures.

Further detail from the study would be needed to specify these components.