Surgical Quality Registries at Nova Scotia Health
To improve the quality and safety of surgical care, Nova Scotia Health participates in surgical quality improvement programs called quality registries.
These programs collect and review information about surgical care and patient recovery. By looking at outcomes from patients, Nova Scotia Health can identify trends, learn from best practices, and find opportunities to improve care.
Nova Scotia Health participates in three quality registries:
- National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP)
- Vascular Quality Initiative® (VQI®)
- Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACDS)
Why is information included?
Learning from past patient care experience and surgical outcomes is an essential part of Nova Scotia Health’s commitment to continuous improvement. Quality registries are part of Nova Scotia Health's quality improvement activities.
Auditing patient records enables Nova Scotia Health healthcare teams to gain important insights including:
- Identifying trends in surgical outcomes and complications
- Recognizing areas where care is working well and where improvements are needed
- Comparing outcomes over time and with other healthcare organizations
- Supporting evidence-informed improvements to patient care
Information is used to evaluate and improve the overall quality and safety of surgical care. Quality registries do not affect individual treatment or care.
How is information collected?
Registered nurses known as Surgical Clinical Nurse Reviewers (SCNRs) audit medical records (patient charts) that are randomly selected for quality improvement. Not all patients' records are reviewed.
Depending on the registry, this may include patients' age, diagnosis, surgery details, risk factors, treatment information, and recovery outcomes.
Only information needed for approved quality improvement activities is collected and used.
If you receive a follow-up call
You may receive a call from an SCNR about 6 weeks or more after surgery. They may ask questions about your recovery and any complications you experienced during the first 30 days after surgery.
The call usually takes only a few minutes, and not all patients will be contacted.
If you receive a call, you can choose which questions to answer or end the call at any time. Your decision will not affect your care.
SCNRs cannot provide information about your treatment or surgery wait times. If you have questions about your surgery, please contact your surgeon's office.
How is privacy protected?
Nova Scotia Health follows provincial laws, including the Personal Health Information Act (PHIA) and the Quality-improvement Information Protection Act (QIIPA).
These laws allow certain uses of health information to improve care and help protect how that information is used and shared.
Nova Scotia Health takes steps to protect your privacy by:
- Collecting and using only the information needed to improve care
- Removing names and health card numbers from information sent to quality registries
- Limiting access to authorized staff
- Keeping information secure and confidential
Registry reports focus on groups of patients and do not identify individual patients.
For more information, read Nova Scotia Health's privacy statement.
How does this information help improve care?
Quality registries allow Nova Scotia Health to compare surgical outcomes over time and with other participating healthcare organizations in Canada and internationally.
For example, quality registry information helps healthcare teams understand whether complications are becoming more or less common, identify practices associated with better outcomes, and evaluate whether changes to care are making a difference.
This information helps Nova Scotia Health make informed decisions to improve the safety and quality of surgical care.
Who can I contact if I have questions?
If you have questions about quality registries, please contact: ACS-NSQIP@nshealth.ca.
If you have general questions about patient privacy at Nova Scotia Health, please contact Nova Scotia Health's Privacy Office.
If you have questions about your care experience, please reach out to Patient Relations by calling 1-844-884-4177 toll-free anywhere in Nova Scotia, or send an email by zone.
Learn more about how Nova Scotia Health is improving surgical quality and patient care:
- Local hospital receives national recognition for meritorious outcomes from the American College of Surgeons | Nova Scotia Health
- Truro Surgeon and his colleagues awarded QEII Foundation grant to study role of nutrition in surgical outcomes | Nova Scotia Health
- Nova Scotia Health team presents quality initiatives and leverage learning opportunities at Quality and Safety Conference | Nova Scotia Health
- National Surgical Quality Improvement Program team leads patient-focused improvements for surgical patients in Nova Scotia | Nova Scotia Health
- News and Notices | Nova Scotia Health