Health Affairs, 26, no. 1 (2007): 162-168 doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.26.1.162 © 2007 by Project HOPE	New Online   Pay Cuts For Medicare Docs   Access To Care Woes   Public Coverage More Efficient   Empowering Consumers

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U.S. Trends In CABG Hospital Volume: The Effect Of Adding Cardiac Surgery Programs

Hospital coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) volume is inversely related to mortality—with low-volume hospitals having the highest mortality. Medicare data (1992–2003) show that the number of CABG procedures increased from 158,000 in 1992 to a peak of 190,000 in 1996 and then fell to 152,000 in 2003, while the number of hospitals performing CABG increased steadily. Predictably, the proportion of CABG procedures performed at low-volume hospitals increased, and the proportion in high-volume hospitals declined. An unintended consequence of starting new cardiac surgery programs is declining CABG hospital volume—a side effect that might increase mortality.

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