Biomaterial Database

Surgical utilization statistics: some methodologic considerations. 1983

V L Sauter, and E F Hughes

This article considers variations in the recording and counting protocols used in the generation of surgical utilization data. A single raw data source was manipulated to reproduce several common protocols to illustrate the statistically significant differences that can result in the volume of surgical utilization considered for both individual procedures and groups of procedures. The results suggest that if recording or counting protocols differ in the samples under consideration, comparison of the statistics and inferences drawn as to utilization therein may be confounded. It is quite possible, therefore, that some of the results of earlier surgical utilization studies may be confounded by such differences in protocols. While there may be valid differences in surgical utilization across different settings, our findings suggest that until methods used in previous work are investigated and reconciled, caution should be exercised in the utilization of this research in public policy making.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D012107	Research Design	A plan for collecting and utilizing data so that desired information can be obtained with sufficient precision or so that an hypothesis can be tested properly.	Experimental Design,Data Adjustment,Data Reporting,Design, Experimental,Designs, Experimental,Error Sources,Experimental Designs,Matched Groups,Methodology, Research,Problem Formulation,Research Methodology,Research Proposal,Research Strategy,Research Technics,Research Techniques,Scoring Methods,Adjustment, Data,Adjustments, Data,Data Adjustments,Design, Research,Designs, Research,Error Source,Formulation, Problem,Formulations, Problem,Group, Matched,Groups, Matched,Matched Group,Method, Scoring,Methods, Scoring,Problem Formulations,Proposal, Research,Proposals, Research,Reporting, Data,Research Designs,Research Proposals,Research Strategies,Research Technic,Research Technique,Scoring Method,Source, Error,Sources, Error,Strategies, Research,Strategy, Research,Technic, Research,Technics, Research,Technique, Research,Techniques, Research
D005260	Female		Females
D006279	Health Maintenance Organizations	Organized systems for providing comprehensive prepaid health care that have five basic attributes: (1) provide care in a defined geographic area; (2) provide or ensure delivery of an agreed-upon set of basic and supplemental health maintenance and treatment services; (3) provide care to a voluntarily enrolled group of persons; (4) require their enrollees to use the services of designated providers; and (5) receive reimbursement through a predetermined, fixed, periodic prepayment made by the enrollee without regard to the degree of services provided. (From Facts on File Dictionary of Health Care Management, 1988)	Group Health Organizations, Prepaid,HMO,Prepaid Group Health Organizations,Health Maintenance Organization,Organizations, Health Maintenance,Organization, Health Maintenance
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013223	Statistics as Topic	Works about the science and art of collecting, summarizing, and analyzing data that are subject to random variation.	Area Analysis,Estimation Technics,Estimation Techniques,Indirect Estimation Technics,Indirect Estimation Techniques,Multiple Classification Analysis,Service Statistics,Statistical Study,Statistics, Service,Tables and Charts as Topic,Analyses, Area,Analyses, Multiple Classification,Area Analyses,Classification Analyses, Multiple,Classification Analysis, Multiple,Estimation Technic, Indirect,Estimation Technics, Indirect,Estimation Technique,Estimation Technique, Indirect,Estimation Techniques, Indirect,Indirect Estimation Technic,Indirect Estimation Technique,Multiple Classification Analyses,Statistical Studies,Studies, Statistical,Study, Statistical,Technic, Indirect Estimation,Technics, Estimation,Technics, Indirect Estimation,Technique, Estimation,Technique, Indirect Estimation,Techniques, Estimation,Techniques, Indirect Estimation
D013514	Surgical Procedures, Operative	Operations carried out for the correction of deformities and defects, repair of injuries, and diagnosis and cure of certain diseases. (Taber, 18th ed.).	Surgical Procedures,Ghost Surgery,Operative Procedures,Operative Surgical Procedure,Operative Surgical Procedures,Procedure, Operative Surgical,Procedures, Operative Surgical,Surgery, Ghost,Surgical Procedure, Operative,Operative Procedure,Procedure, Operative,Procedure, Surgical,Procedures, Operative,Procedures, Surgical,Surgical Procedure
D014481	United States	A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.