Vanderbilt Center for Surgical Quality Outcomes Research

What is Outcomes Research?
Outcomes research explores the impact of health care on a disease process. Surgical diseases are perfectly suited for outcomes research because:
     • It is easy to define “zero time.”
     • Surgical procedures can be standardized.
     • Surgical procedures are "easy" to observe and quantify.
     • Surgery is geared towards results and improvement.

Primary Goal:
To improve access to and quality of care and to optimize clinical outcomes for patients with conditions which are treated with surgical procedures.

Secondary Goals:
1. Build “human capital” by:
     • Helping junior faculty develop into independent investigators
     • Interesting residents and fellows in the field
     • Adding to medical student education.

2. Obtain federal funding to support multidisciplinary research programs that deal with surgical conditions
     • U01 and P01 type grants
     • T32 training grants.

3. Contribute to the national quality improvement movement by facilitating local QI projects in surgery.