By Ashish Jha – In July the investigative journalists at ProPublica released an analysis of 17,000 surgeons and their complication rates. Known as the “Surgeon Scorecard,” it set off a firestorm. In the months following, the primary objections to the scorecard have become clearer and were best distilled in a terrific piece by Lisa Rosenbaum.
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In July of this year, ProPublica released a searchable database of 16,827 surgeons performing one of eight elective procedures in Medicare and their individual complication rates. They focused on elective cases because they typically involve healthier patients with the best odds of a smooth recovery.
By Sarianne Gruber – ProPublica, a New York City based non-profit newsroom, focuses on stories as they describe have a “moral force”. Last month, Olga Pierce and Marshall Allen, reporters who cover health care and patient safety issues, released to the public the Surgeon Scorecard.