Gap in Preventive Health Screenings Provides Opportunity for ASCs

Gap in Preventive Health Screenings Provides Opportunity for ASCs

So much of outpatient surgery is predicated on the notion that patients seeking care in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are relatively healthy before they go under the knife, a fact that is confirmed by pre-surgical patient histories and examinations. The good news is that the overall quality of the U.S. healthcare system is improving, but the bad news is that healthcare providers are missing important chances to help Americans avoid disease or serious complications, according to annual reports issued recently by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). In other words, healthcare providers can no longer assume that their patients are taking all of the precautions they need to in order to safeguard their health and make them prime candidates for ambulatory surgery.

Both the 2006 National Healthcare Quality Report and the National Healthcare Disparities Report discovered that the use of proven prevention strategies lags significantly behind other gains in healthcare. For example, only about 52 percent of adults reported receiving recommended colorectal cancer screenings, yet as many as 56,000 Americans die from colorectal cancer, and 150,000 new cases are diagnosed annually. In 2002, the AHRQ-supported U.S. Preventive Services Task Force urged initial screenings at age 50 and earlier for people at high risk. As another example, fewer than half of obese adults reported being counseled about dietary issues by a healthcare professional.

The National Healthcare Quality Report tracks the healthcare system through quality measures, while the National Healthcare Disparities report summarizes which racial, ethnic, or income groups are most likely to benefit from improvements in healthcare. Overall, the review of 40 core quality measures found a 3.1 percent increase in the quality of care — the same rate of improvement as the previous two years. The improvement rate for other preventive measures, such as screenings, was less than 2 percent. The greatest quality gains occurred in U.S. hospitals, where quality improved 7.8 percent, while ambulatory care improved by 3.2 percent. Nursing home and home healthcare improved by 1 percent. To access the National Healthcare Quality Report, go to http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhqr06/nhqr06.htm; for the National Healthcare Disparities Report, go to http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhdr06/nhdr06.htm. 

The report findings underscore the important role that ASCs can play in improving preventive healthcare; from big cities to rural towns, more ambulatory facilities are participating in the annual Open House Day sponsored by FASA, as well as embarking upon other, individual community outreach efforts. Not only do these kinds of events educate potential patients in the region, they help focus attention on the benefits of ambulatory surgery and strengthen the perception that ASCs are a vital link in the healthcare provider chain.

On another note, I’m excited to share with you that the fourth annual today’s surgicenter conference will be held Sept. 27-29, 2007 in Las Vegas, and will feature a revamped agenda of educational sessions, networking opportunities, and special workshops that will help ASC owners and operators reach the next level in their continued operational success. Watch for more details in the April issue of today’s surgicenter magazine.

Until next month, 

Kelly M. Pyrek 
Group Editor, Medical Division 
kpyrek@vpico.com