“We have such high participation rates in STS initiatives because doctors trust the data in the registry,” said David Shahian, MD, chair of the STS Workforce on National Databases and vice president of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Quality and Safety. “These standardized data are collected by highly trained data managers and their accuracy is externally audited. The measures are scientifically valid and NQF-endorsed, which gives the Database and its associated metrics the credibility needed for provider trust and buy-in.”

Importantly, the Database generates quarterly performance reports that allow participating cardiac centers to continually improve by comparing local outcomes to regional benchmarks and national standards. But it was the Society’s decision to partner with Consumer Reports to publish voluntary reported survival rates, complication rates, and other NQF-endorsed measures that brought this valuable information to patients.

“STS recognized the importance of engaging patients more fully in their choice of providers, offering consumers who are considering cardiac surgery an information snapshot of how surgical groups they may be considering for their care perform on quality measures,” said Shahian. Consumer Reports updates the data every year.

To build on their commitment to patient engagement, STS has concentrated on consumer-focused composite measures that combine a variety of indicators, making it easier for patients to evaluate providers. In the future, STS plans to develop “super” composite measures that roll up the results from a variety of common cardiac procedures, as well as other metrics. This will provide consumers with a more comprehensive view of a provider’s performance, as well as the ability to drill down by procedure for more detail.