[Variability in hospital care. Nasosinus surgery in Spain]. / Variabilidad en la asistencia hospitalaria. El caso de la cirugía nasosinusal en España.

OBJECTIVES: To describe variations in the management of nasosinus disorders among the Autonomous Communities and hospitals of Spain. METHODS: We analyzed the Minimum Basic Data Set of the public health system from 1998-2000 for the diagnoses of nasosinus polyps and chronic sinusitis. We studied the distribution by regions of the rate of hospitalizations and of 4 indicators of quality of care and efficiency: mean length of stay, percentage of discharges without surgery, percentage of functional endoscopic sinus surgery and surgical complications. A cluster analysis was performed to classify hospitals according to the values of these indicators. RESULTS: We analyzed 13061 discharges from 263 hospitals. Marked differences were found in age-adjusted hospitalization rates by regions. Cluster analysis classified the centers with more than 10 annual discharges in 3 categories: a) 32 hospitals in which the 4 quality indicators were above average; b) 35 hospitals in which 3 of the indicators were below average, and c) 74 hospitals in which 2 indicators were above average and 2 indicators were below average. CONCLUSIONS: Marked interregional variations were found in hospitalization rates, as well as in the characteristics of management of nasosinus disorders in Spanish hospitals. The centers examined could be grouped into three clearly defined patterns according to indicators of quality of care and efficiency.

Variabilidad en la asistencia hospitalaria. El caso de la cirugía nasosinusal en España / Variability in hospital care. Nasosinus surgery in Spain

Objetivo: Describir las variaciones en la asistencia de las enfermedades nasosinusales entre comunidades autónomas (CCAA) y hospitales españoles. Métodos: Se analizó el Conjunto Mínimo Básico de Datos del Sistema Nacional de Salud de los años 1998-2000 para los diagnósticos de pólipos nasosinusales y sinusitis crónica. Se estudió la distribución por CCAA de la tasa de hospitalización y de 4 indicadores de calidad asistencial y eficiencia: estancia media, porcentajes de altas sin intervención, técnicas de cirugía endoscópica nasosinusal y complicaciones posquirúrgicas. Se realizó un análisis de conglomerados para clasificar los hospitales según los valores de dichos indicadores. Resultados: Se analizaron 13.061 altas de 263 hospitales. Se (..) (AU)

Objectives: To describe variations in the management of nasosinus disorders among the Autonomous Communities and hospitals of Spain. Methods: We analyzed the Minimum Basic Data Set of the public health system from 1998-2000 for the diagnoses of nasosinus polyps and chronic sinusitis. We studied the distribution by regions of the rate of hospitalizations and of 4 indicators of quality of care and efficiency: mean length of stay, percentage of discharges without surgery, percentage of functional endoscopic sinus surgery and surgical complications. A cluster analysis was performed to classify hospitals according to the values of these indicators. Results: We analyzed 13061 discharges from 263 hospitals. Marked differences were found in age-adjusted hospitalization rates by regions. Cluster analysis classified the centers with (..) (AU)