Surgery at critical access hospitals safe, less expensive

Editor's Note

In this study, Medicare patients having common surgical procedures at critical access hospitals had no significant difference in 30-day mortality than those at noncritical access hospitals (5.4% vs 5.6%), and they had lower rates of serious complications (6% vs 14%) and lower expenditures ($14,450 vs $15, 845).

The procedures studied were appendectomy, cholecystectomy, colon resection, and hernia repair. Critical access hospitals are a predominant source of care for Americans living in rural areas.

Importance Critical access hospitals are a predominant source of care for many rural populations. Previous reports suggest these centers provide lower quality of care for common medical admissions. Little is known about the outcomes and costs of patients admitted for surgical procedures.