The cross-sectional study analyzed a total 486 cases at a pediatric ASC and a hospital-based facility. The cases comprised of the four most common pediatric surgical procedures at the ASC: ventilation tube insertion, dental rehabilitation, adenotonsillectomy and ventilation tube insertion/adenoidectomy.
The authors designed a series of quality performance measures based on the Institute of Medicine’s multidimensional definition of quality, which include safety, patient-centeredness, timeliness, efficiency and equitability.
The study found that 77 percent of ASC cases finished within the scheduled time compared to 38 percent at the HBF, a difference of about 30 percent. Total charges were 12-23 percent less at the ASC as well. However, patient satisfaction was similar between facilities. For the studied sample size, the ASC had no unexpected safety events, compared to nine events at the HBF, according to the release.
Read the AAO-HNS release on performance of ASCs for ENT procedures.
