UAB Cardiothoracic Surgery Annual Report 2015-16 UAB Medicine Cardiothoracic Surgery 2015/16 Annual | Page 50

EDUCATION, TRAINING, & RESEARCH

OUTCOMES RESEARCH
UAB’s Cardiothoracic Surgery Surgical Outcomes Program is a collaboration of surgeons, scientists, and allied
health professionals whose mission is to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of surgical care through
research and innovation. They focus on projects designed to enhance patient-provider interactions, safety,
efficacy of surgical care, patient quality of life, clinical decision-making, and comparative effectiveness of
specific health care interventions.

Areas of Focus
Our Surgical Outcomes Program focuses on four themes before, during, and after surgery:
• Quality – Quality of the surgical experience during and immediately after hospitalization
• Access – The socioeconomic, demographic, geographical, and disease factors associated with access to
quality surgical care
• Emerging technology – Safety during the surgical experience and the outcomes of newly implemented and
emerging technologies
• Outcomes – Long-term health services utilization, late effects, and impact of the intervention on quality of
life, survival, and risk of mortality
By providing evidence to improve the safety, efficiency, and quality of surgical care, the program aims to
influence the surgical patient experience at UAB and beyond. Many of the surgical techniques and protocols
developed at UAB are now utilized by surgeons around the world.

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Cardiothoracic Surgery Annual Report