Surgical Quality Improvement Programs at Nova Scotia Health
To improve the quality and safety of surgical care, Nova Scotia Health takes part in international surgical quality improvement programs. These programs are called quality registries.
A quality registry at a hospital is a program that uses information to improve the quality, safety, and effectiveness of surgical care.
Nova Scotia Health takes part in 3 quality registries:
National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP)
www.nshealth.ca/surgery/national-surgical-quality-improvement-program
Vascular Quality Initiative® (VQI®)
www.vqi.org/
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACDS)
www.sts.org
By taking part in these programs, Nova Scotia Health staff:
- Learn from patient outcomes (if a patient’s health improved after surgery)
- Support evidence-informed improvements
- Help achieve better outcomes for patients
If you get a follow-up call:
After surgery, you may get a call from a Surgical Clinical Nurse Reviewer (SCNR). They may ask you questions about your recovery and if you had any complications after leaving the hospital.
Please note: SCNRs cannot give information about your treatment, your upcoming surgery, or surgery wait times. If you have questions about your surgery, please call your surgeon’s office.
We do not contact all patients. We call patients using a standard process. You can choose if you want to take part. Your care will not be affected.
Protecting your privacy is very important to us.
- The information we collect is only used for approved activities. It is stored securely and follows all Nova Scotia privacy legislation and Nova Scotia Health privacy policies.
- Your personal information (including your name) is removed.
Nova Scotia Health follows the Nova Scotia Personal Health Information Act (PHIA). This legislation (law) balances your right to privacy with Nova Scotia Health’s responsibility to provide health services and improve the quality of patient care.
All Nova Scotia Health staff complete privacy education and sign confidentiality agreements.
The information sent to the quality registries cannot be used to identify a patient.
Nova Scotia Health’s Privacy Statement
Why is my information included in a quality registry?
Not all patients are contacted. Quality registries help healthcare organizations learn from patient outcomes and improve care for current and future patients. Nova Scotia Health uses registry information to:
- Monitor and improve the quality and safety of surgical care
- Find opportunities for improvement
- Compare outcomes with other similar hospitals and programs
- Support evidence-based practice to improve patient outcomes
Do I have to take part?
Quality registries are part of Nova Scotia Health’s quality improvement activities. Information from your medical record may be included as part of these activities. If an SCNR calls you, you can decide not to take part or end the call at any time.
Will taking part in a registry affect my care?
No. Your treatment decisions are made by you and your health care team and are based on your needs. If you decide to take part in a registry, it will not affect your care. Quality registries are used to assess and improve healthcare quality.
How is my information collected?
SCNRs at sites that are taking part review relevant information from selected patients’ medical records. They may call patients about 6 weeks (or more) after surgery to ask follow-up questions about their recovery in the first 30 days.
The follow-up call usually takes only a few minutes, and patients may choose whether to answer each question.
Not all patients who have surgery will be called, and you can choose if you want to take part in the call.
What information is collected?
A registry may collect information like your:
- Age
- Diagnosis
- Procedure or surgery details
- Risk factors
- Treatment information
- Outcome and recovery information
We only collect information that is used to assess and improve the quality of patient care. The information sent to the registries has your personal information is removed.
Will my name appear in reports?
No. Your personal identifiers (e.g. name and health card number) is not included in the information being set to the registries.
When registry data is used for quality improvement activities, all processes follow Nova Scotia privacy legislation and Nova Scotia Health privacy policies.
Who can I contact if I have questions?
If you have questions about a quality registry or how your information is used, please talk to your healthcare provider or contact Nova Scotia Health’s Privacy Office.
You can also give feedback by calling Patient Relations at 1-844-884-4177 (toll-free in Nova Scotia), or sending an email by zone:
Annapolis Valley, Southwest, and South Shore areas:
WZpatientrelations@nshealth.ca
Colchester, Cumberland, Pictou County, and East Hants areas:
NZpatientrelations@nshealth.ca
Cape Breton, Antigonish, and Guysborough areas:
EZpatientrelations@nshealth.ca
Halifax Regional Municipality, Eastern Shore, and West Hants areas:
CZpatientrelations@nshealth.ca
To learn more about how Nova Scotia Health is improving quality and patient care, visit: