Use of Discharge Abstract Databases to Differentiate Among Pediatric Hospitals’ Operative Procedures: Surgery in Infants and Young Children in the State of Iowa

Abstract

This article describes our results in using inpatient and outpatient state discharge abstracts to quantify the operative services provided for children 0–2 yr old by pediatric and nonpediatric surgical facilities throughout Iowa. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ guideline is that each facility should have minimum volumes for pediatric surgery in this age group. 4 Our goals were twofold. First, we evaluated how to use statewide discharge abstracts to quantify where infants and young children have surgery in a state. Second, we investigated the volume, diversity, and physiologic complexity of operative procedures to learn how a pediatric hospital can differentiate itself from nonpediatric facilities and from other pediatric hospitals.