The Boston Shoulder Institute: Commitment to Quality Care
At the Boston Shoulder Institute (BSI), our first and foremost priority is delivering the highest quality of care. Because we measure the success of our treatments based on patient satisfaction, patient-reported outcomes are a top priority. As part of our patient-centered practice, we have integrated a database for collecting patient reported outcomes, giving every patient the opportunity to report on shoulder pain and function as he or she recovers after surgery. We continually monitor this database to assess the real time recovery of our patients.
We go above and beyond the standard practice by conducting in-depth analysis on the outcomes of all our patients. Through practice-based introspection, we are always evaluating and improving the care we provide at our institution. Further, the BSI believes in transparency and the patient’s right to access all the outcomes in our practice. We demonstrate our dedication to this belief by fully disclosing all surgical data, including any operative complications identified at our institute.
Between Drs. Higgins and Warner, the Boston Shoulder Institute performs more than 1000 surgeries annually. Throughout the year, our Research Team collects data and meticulously assesses the outcome of every single surgery performed by Drs. Higgins and Warner, identifying any complications and publishing the data for the public to view on this website. Under the “Defining Complication” section, you will find a general guideline to understanding complications. In “Quality Measures,” you will find our surgical outcomes data, including complications such as infection, readmission, and reoperations.
As part of our commitment to deliver the highest quality of care to our patients, we do not hesitate in taking the unique approach of being a completely transparent practice. By constantly reviewing and sharing our data, we strive to improve our practice and provide nothing less than exceptional, comprehensive care to those who come to the Boston Shoulder Institute.
2014 Boston Shoulder Institute Quality Data
Reported below are all the complications experienced at the BSI during the 2014 calendar year. Of the 1022 surgeries performed between Drs. Higgins and Warner, 26 patients (2.54%) were found to have experienced a complication. Please see the data depicted below.
Navigate to the “2014 BSI Quality Reports” tab on the left to access Dr. Higgins’s and Dr. Warner’s individual quality snap shots.
Re-admission – A re-admission is defined as any complication that resulted in the patient being admitted to the hospital for resolution. In 2014, three patients were admitted to either Massachusetts General Hospital or Brigham and Women’s Hospital for a post-operative complication. Two patients were admitted for a pulmonary embolism and one for a revision shoulder replacement. All re-admission complications have been resolved.
Infection – Patients who underwent a post-operative deep tissue biopsy and lab-tested positive for the presence of a microorganism were recorded as an infection. Five patients experienced an infection at the BSI in 2014.
