The Search for an Outcome Variable That Measures Both Quality and Processes in Cardiac Surgery: Comparing the Quality Process Index and Mortality.

Background: The translation of a large quantity of data into valuable insights for daily clinical practice is underexplored. A considerable amount of information is overwhelming, making it difficult to distill and assess quality and processes at the hospital level. This study contributes to this necessary translation by developing a Quality Process Index that summarizes clinical data to measure quality and processes.

Quality and process improvement of the multidisciplinary Heart Team meeting using Lean Six Sigma.

Introduction: The Heart Team is a multidisciplinary meeting for shared decision-making in cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery. A quality improvement project to optimise the Heart Team was initiated after the merger of the cardiac centres of Amsterdam University Medical Centre.

Methods: Lean Six Sigma was applied with the purpose of improving efficiency and quality of care.

Can Quality Improvement Methodologies Derived from Manufacturing Industry Improve Care in Cardiac Surgery? A Systematic Review.

Objectives: Healthcare is required to be effectively organised to ensure that growing, aging and medically more complex populations have timely access to high-quality, affordable care. Cardiac surgery is no exception to this, especially due to the competition for and demand on hospital resources, such as operating rooms and intensive care capacity. This is challenged more since the COVID-19 pandemic led to postponed care and prolonged waiting lists.

Systematic Review of Interventions to Reduce Operating Time in Lung Cancer Surgery.

Introduction: Operating rooms are a scarce resource but often used inefficiently. Operating room efficiency emerges as an important part of maximizing surgical capacity and productivity, minimizing delays, and optimizing lung cancer outcomes. The operative time (time between patient entering and leaving the operating room) is discrete and the one that the surgical team can most directly influence.