On the "Efforts at improving hospital patient safety" panel at Health Journalism 2009, David R. Flum (M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S., professor of surgery and medical director, Surgical Outcomes and Assessment Program, University of Washington) presented on "A system for safer and higher quality surgery". In his presentation, Dr. Flum pointed out the vast differences in level and cost of care across the country and advocated a physician-led, collaborative effort to deliver, safer, better and cheaper care throughout the country by better quantifying success. Currently, these efforts focus on a sort of pre-flight checklist that has reduced surgical complications in the initiative's trial area.
