Small-Area Variations in the Use of Common Surgical Procedures: An International Comparison of New England, England, and Norway

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 307; no. 21; pp. 1310 - 1314
• Main Authors: McPherson, Klim, Wennberg, John E, Hovind, Ole B, Clifford, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Massachusetts Medical Society 18.11.1982
• Subjects: Age; Appendectomy; Appendectomy - trends; Childrens health; Cholecystectomy; Cholecystectomy - trends; Clinical decision making; Decision making; England; Female; Health services; Health Services Misuse; Hemorrhoids; Hemorrhoids - surgery; Hernia; Hernias; Herniorrhaphy; Hospitals; Humans; Hysterectomy; Hysterectomy - trends; Male; New England; Norway; Population; Prostate cancer; Prostatectomy; Prostatectomy - trends; Sample variance; Standard deviation; Surgery; Surgical Procedures, Operative - trends; Tonsillectomy - trends; Varicose veins; England; Norway; New England
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJM198211183072104

We examined the incidence of seven common surgical procedures in seven hospital service areas in southern Norway, in 21 districts in the West Midlands of the United Kingdom, and in the 18 most heavily populated hospital service areas in Vermont, Maine, and Rhode Island. Although surgical rates were higher in the New England states than in the United Kingdom or Norway, there was no greater degree of variability in the rates of surgery among the service areas within the three New England states. Hernia repair was more variable in England (P<0.05) and hysterectomy in Norway (P<0.05) than in the other countries. There was consistency among countries in the rank order of variability for most procedures: tonsillectomy, hemorrhoidectomy, hysterectomy, and prostatectomy varied more from area to area than did appendectomy, hernia repair, or cholecystectomy. The degree of variation generally appeared to be more characteristic of the procedure than of the country in which it was performed. Thus, differences among countries in the methods of organizing and financing care appear to have little relation to the intrinsic variability in the incidence of common surgical procedures among hospital service areas in these countries. Despite the differences in average rates of use, the degrees of controversy and uncertainty concerning the indications for these procedures seem to be similar among clinicians in all three countries. (N Engl J Med. 1982; 307: 1310–4.) Systematic and persistent differences have been documented in the standardized rates of use for common surgical procedures in the United States and the United Kingdom, 1 as well as among the political subdivisions within these countries, such as states, health regions, and counties. 2 3 4 Generally, both rates of surgery and resources invested in surgery are lower in the United Kingdom than in the United States. In the New England states the use of surgery varies considerably among hospital service areas. 5 , 6 Because these areas, which are defined according to the pattern of use among local hospitals, usually contain only one or two hospitals, . . .