Total Hip Replacement (THR) Quality Measures
Studies have shown that there is a relationship between
the number of total hip replacement (primary and revision) procedures performed
at a hospital and quality outcomes. One study of 70,000 Medicare patients indicated
that at hospitals in which more than 100 of the procedures were performed per
year, patients had a lower risk of death and selected complications than those
treated in hospitals in which ten or fewer procedures were performed per year
(The
Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, November 2001: 83; 1622-1629) .
In addition,
The
100 Top Hospitals: Orthopedic Benchmarks for Success study, conducted by
HCIA-Sachs, found that hospitals that perform the most orthopaedic procedures
appear to be doing a better job controlling patient complications and have
the lowest death rates (For 2000 study: Modern Healthcare, February 26, 2001:
14-20).
Some complications are inevitable and hospitals can reach
a plateau where additional procedure volume does not reduce the number of complications
(Journal
of Arthroplasty, September 2004: 19 (6): 694-699).
St. Mary's Hospital Medical Center performed
139 total hip replacement (primary and revision) procedures in
2006.