Affiliates of top-ranked cancer hospitals may not be as safe for complex cancer surgeries, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.
For the study, researchers analyzed data on 29,228 Medicare beneficiaries over age 65 who underwent complex cancer surgery between Jan. 1, 2013, and Oct. 1, 2016. Surgeries occurred at 59 top-ranked hospitals and 343 affiliated hospitals.
Researchers found patients who underwent surgery at affiliated hospitals had higher 90-day mortality rates, ranging from a 1.32 odds ratio for colectomy patients to a 2.04 odds ratio for gastrectomy patients. Top-ranked cancer hospitals were safer than affiliated facilities in 41 of the 49 health networks included in the study.
"The likelihood of surviving complex cancer surgery appears to be greater at top-ranked cancer hospitals compared with the affiliated hospitals that share their brand," researchers concluded. "Further investigation of performance across trusted cancer networks could enhance informed decision-making for complex cancer care."
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