Synoptic surgical reporting for breast cancer surgery: an innovation in knowledge translation

• Published in: The American journal of surgery Vol. 199; no. 6; pp. 770 - 775
• Main Authors: Temple, Walley J., M.D, Francis, Wesley P., M.D, Tamano, Evangeline, R.N, Dabbs, Kelly, M.D, Mack, Lloyd A., M.D, Fields, Anthony, M.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.06.2010; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Alberta - epidemiology; Alberta WebSMR; Biological and medical sciences; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - diagnosis; Breast Neoplasms - epidemiology; Breast Neoplasms - surgery; Cancer; Decision making; Delphi Technique; Diagnostic Imaging; Digitization; Female; General aspects; Guideline Adherence; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Information systems; Innovations; Internet; Mammary gland diseases; Mastectomy; Mastectomy - methods; Mastectomy - standards; Medical personnel; Medical records; Medical sciences; Morbidity; Mortality; Outcomes; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Quality of Health Care; Surgeons; Surgery; Surgical instruments; Surgical report; Survival Rate; Synoptic; Tumors; User satisfaction; User-Computer Interface; Canada; Alberta; North America; America; Synoptic; Alberta WebSMR; Outcomes; Surgical report; Breast disease; Prognosis; Report; Data transmission; Breast cancer; Malignant tumor; Knowledge; Information transmission; Knowledge transfer; Medicine; Mammary gland diseases; Innovation; Treatment; Surgery; Evolution; Mammary gland; Cancer
• ISSN: 0002-9610; 1879-1883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2009.07.037

Abstract Background Extensive literature identifies that the quality of surgery not only influences morbidity and mortality but also long-term survival and function. This mandates that we develop a system to capture this information on a real-time basis. Methods A synoptic surgical template for breast cancer was created; this was digitized and made available to all surgeons in Alberta. Results The data reference 1,392 breast cancer procedures. Ninety-one percent of reports were submitted within 1 hour and 97% of reports were submitted within 24 hours. Fifty-two percent of reports were completed within 5 minutes. Information quality with respect to completeness of staging information was present in 89%. Eighty-four percent complied with practice guidelines and 89% of breast surgeons adopted the template. Seventy-five percent of users were moderately or highly satisfied with the system. Conclusions The experience with the development and implementation of synoptic surgical reporting has proven to be a successful tool for generating quality surgical data.