Mortality surveys as outcome studies

Abstract

Although mortality studies are outcome studies of a sort, they are different from the outcome studies being advocated today. The current concept of outcome studies (i.e. outcome as distinct from structure and process) has achieved modest popularity with anaesthetists. There are numerous reasons why, including the uniqueness of the specialty in being non-diagnostic and non-therapeutic, which renders many models of outcome applicable in other fields irrelevant in anaesthesia. Furthermore, the adverse sequelae of anaesthesia are naturally polarized as minor or calamatous. Nevertheless, mortality reviews will continue to play a part in the assessment of anaesthesia services on the large scale.