Much of chest disease is related to cigarette smoking, as reflected in this graph. Disease risk and severity are related to duration and quantity of cigarettes smoked, called "pack years". Each "pack year" is equivalent to smoking one pack of cigarettes a day for one year. Importantly, duration and quantity smoked also impacts a patient's ability to tolerate treatment choices and have a predictably successful outcome. Providence Cancer Center is home to award-winning smoking cessation programs with a strong track record in helping people to quit.
High Risk Factors All Cases, 2005-2008
This graph maps different operations across a variety of high-risk patient characteristics. Data like these are used to evaluate treatment risk and examine care patterns. Quarterly detailed analysis allows identification of improvement opportunities of care patterns, thus decreasing complications and improving outcomes.
High Risk Factors Lobectomy, 2005-2008
Lobectomy is a signature operation of any thoracic surgery program, so outcomes for this procedure are worth scrutinizing. Here, a surprising number of lobectomy patients had prior chest surgery. Like other lobectomy patients, candidates for this operation at Providence Thoracic Surgery Program tend to be older, and a substantial portion have had chemotherapy or radiation therapy in preparation for surgery-putting them at much greater risk for complications.
Outcomes: Median PostOp Hospital Stay, 2005-2008
A nationally agreed-upon program quality measure is postoperative length of hospital stay. Length of stay is related to the complexity of surgery. We track this outcome, looking for opportunities for improvement.
