Decades of quality program development by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) have identified the key components of a successful program for optimal surgical care and quality improvement. These key principles have been developed into a verification program—the ACS Quality Verification Program—to guide hospitals to improve surgical quality, safety, and reliability across all surgical specialties. In a three-part series published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons(part III coming soon), the authors examine the evidence that supports the 12 core principles of the ACS Quality Verification Program.
Evidence Review for the American College of Surgeons Quality Verification Part I: Building Quality and Safety Resources and Infrastructure
The study gathered and analyzed evidence associated with the first four principles that address institutional and administrative factors necessary for high quality surgical care: a top-down commitment to quality, mid-level leadership, and committee structure, including the scope and governance of a quality program and infrastructure.
Hu QL, Fischer CP, Wescott AB, Maggard-Gibbons M, Hoyt DB, Ko CY. Evidence Review for the American College of Surgeons Quality Verification Part I: Building Quality and Safety Resources and Infrastructure. J Am Coll Surg. 2020;231(5):557-569.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2020.08.758
Evidence Review for the American College of Surgeons Quality Verification Part II: Processes for Reliable Quality Improvement
The study group gathered and analyzed evidence associated with five principles that address processes for identification and resolution of quality improvement issues: case review, peer review, credentialing and privileging, data for surveillance, and continuous quality improvement using data.
Fischer CP, Hu QL, Wescott AB, Maggard-Gibbons M, Hoyt DB, Ko CY. Evidence Review for the American College of Surgeons Quality Verification Part II: Processes for Reliable Quality Improvement [published online ahead of print, 2021 Apr 30]. J Am Coll Surg. 2021;S1072-7515(21)00244-1. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2021.03.028
