outcomes Archives
ASCO press program highlights COVID-19 outcomes in lung cancer patients
May. 26, 2020—People with thoracic cancers sickened by COVID-19 were especially vulnerable to deaths with a 35% mortality rate, according to early results from TERAVOLT, a global consortium that tracks outcomes among this vulnerable patient population.
Study shows heart failure mortality higher in low-income areas
Mar. 5, 2020—Patients discharged from the hospital with acute heart failure have higher one-year mortality rates in regions with low income or greater income inequality, according to a new global study whose authors include Sean Collins, MD, MSc, professor of Emergency Medicine at Vanderbilt.
Impact of weight gain from early to middle adulthood explored
Jan. 9, 2020—An analysis of weight gain occurring from early to middle adulthood indicates that the added weight is associated with multiple health outcomes in later life.
Patient complaints can identify surgeons with higher rates of bad surgical outcomes: study
Feb. 15, 2017—Recording and analyzing patient and family reports about rude and disrespectful behavior can identify surgeons with higher rates of surgical site infections and other avoidable adverse outcomes, according to a study led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) investigators in collaboration with six other major academic health systems.
Social risk factors influence outcomes, Medicare payment
Feb. 8, 2017—Social risk factors including income, education and ethnic background influence health outcomes and should be taken into account in Medicare payment models, according to a New England Journal of Medicine “Perspective” titled “Social Risk Factors and Equity in Medicare Payment.”
New colorectal surgery protocol reduces length of hospital stay by 25 percent
May. 28, 2015—For colorectal surgery patients at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the introduction last summer of a new patient care protocol, which includes intensive follow-up by anesthesiologists in the hospital, has led to an average 25 percent reduction in hospital length of stay after surgery — from four days to three — and 90 percent reduction in the use of opioids to treat post-operative pain.
Study seeks to bolster outcomes for acute heart failure patients
May. 21, 2015—With support from a three-year, $2 million research grant from Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the American Heart Association are teaming up to study heart failure care in the Emergency Department.
Study links post-acute care costs with lower survival rates
Apr. 30, 2015—A nationwide study, “Uncovering Waste in U.S. Healthcare,” from authors at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, finds that spending on post-acute care in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) provides a key signal of inefficiency in the health care system, leading to higher spending and lower patient survival.
Penson to chair NIH health services research study section
Aug. 14, 2014—Vanderbilt’s David Penson, M.D., MPH, director of the Center for Surgical Quality and Outcomes Research, has been named to serve as chair of the Health Services Organization and Delivery Study Section in the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) of the National Institutes of Health. He will serve a two-year term.
Aetna Institutes of Excellence honors VUMC quality of care
Mar. 21, 2013—Vanderbilt University Medical Center has been recognized by Aetna Institutes of Excellence for its expertise in consistently delivering evidence-based, quality care for Pediatric Congenital Heart Surgery Services.