Evaluation of minimum volume standards for surgery in the Netherlands (2003 –2017): A successful policy?

Improving patient safety in high-risk care such as surgery has been a priority in many countries [1,2]. Since the 1970s, international peer-reviewed studies identified case volume as an important influential factor for better outcomes after surgery. Especially in high-risk surgery such as oesophageal resections and abdominal aortic surgery [3 –22]. As in many other countries, these insights have been transferred into volume-based policy in the Netherlands. This policy is aimed at directing certain surgical procedures away from low-volume providers in an effort to reduce patients’ risks of adverse outcomes.
Source: Health Policy - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Full-length article Source Type: research