Research: Surgeons, Hospitals Involved in Exceptional Research Have Lower Patient Mortality Rates, Fewer Complications

Surgeons and hospitals who conduct the most leading-edge research achieve lower rates of patient mortality and complications than those who do not, according to findings released today by Avant-garde Health.

Patients under the care of top surgeon-researchers showed a 5% lower rate of post-discharge complications and a 5% lower rate of mortality, within 30 days post-discharge, according to the research.

"The results clearly show that being a better researcher is associated with being a better clinician," said Derek Haas, CEO of Avant-garde Health, a technology and analytics company whose solutions help health systems, surgery centers and physicians improve their care. "It is impressive that excellence in one domain does not come at the expense of the other."

Avant-garde Health evaluated the quality and quantity of medical research published by 90,000 surgeons at 4,000 U.S. hospitals, across 10 specialties: general surgery, surgical oncology, orthopedic surgery, spine surgery, neurosurgery, cardiac and cardiothoracic surgery, vascular surgery, gastroenterology, urology and otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat). Avant-garde Health reviewed 2021-2022 Medicare Fee-for-Service data on 1.8 million cases from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. All research appeared on PubMed and was weighted using Journal Impact Factor and author position. Additional study methodology can be reviewed in detail here.

In connection with the groundbreaking research, Avant-garde Health also announced today the Healthcare Research All-Stars for 2024, representing the top 5% of surgeons and hospitals who have authored leading-edge research in one of the 10 specialties. All 4,500 physicians and 350 hospitals being honored are listed on the Research All-Stars site.

Top surgeon-researchers had a remarkable output, with an average publication rate of 11 articles per year. This contrasts sharply with the broader group of surgeons, whose average stands at just 0.5 articles annually. In addition, a significant portion of the top surgeon-researchers ? 47.1% on average ? served as the leading or senior authors of their research.

"This collective effort and leadership in research underscores the pivotal role of these surgeons in driving medical innovations and enhancing patient care practices," said Dr. Porter Jones, M.D., vice president of clinical transformation for Avant-garde Health.

In addition, women are about 20% more likely to be in the top 5% of researchers in their clinical field when compared with their male counterparts, underscoring progress toward diversity and inclusion in healthcare research.

Research All-Star Dr. Lisa Cannada, M.D., an orthopedic trauma surgeon for Novant Health, spoke of this necessary progress, "Diversity in the field of orthopedics has been a cornerstone of my work, ensuring that we create an inclusive environment where the voices of women are heard and valued. Alongside this, my commitment to evidence-based medicine has [resulted in] over 200 [article] publications, highlighting the importance of rigorous research in advancing patient care."

Avant-garde Health routinely conducts research that has appeared in Harvard Business Review, The New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA. Avant-garde annually produces an average of 10 high-quality research manuscripts for publications that advance understanding of the cost, quality and value of care, as well as disparities in treatment, and apply these insights to improve care quality and patient outcomes.

About Avant-garde Health

Avant-garde Health provides health systems, surgery centers and physicians with comprehensive insight into their perioperative care through its software and empowers them to improve their finances and deliver the best care possible to their patients. To learn more, please visit www.avantgardehealth.com or email Dr. Porter Jones, M.D., vice president of clinical transformation, at [email protected].