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Surgical Programs | Office of Surgical Quality

Photo of Dr. Rob Harrop

Office of Surgical Quality

Dr. Rob Harrop, Director

Office of Surgical Quality

The Office of Surgical Quality (OSQ) was established in 2016 to coordinate and enhance the quality improvement efforts within the Department of Surgery (DoS). The OSQ established the Calgary Zone Surgical Quality Council (CZSQC) to address these goals.

The CZSQC meets monthly and comprises members from all National Surgical Quality Improvement Programs (NSQIP), Surgeon Champions, Anesthetist Champions, Surgical Clinical Reviewers, Department of Surgery, Department of Anesthesiology, AHS Analytics, Surgical Strategic Clinical Network, Calgary Zone Quality Council, Sectional Surgeon QI Leads, Executive Directors, Quality Improvement Consultants, and AHS OR Leadership.

The OSQ maintains a SharePoint site, which includes a variety of quality improvement resources for the Department of Surgery. You can access the OSQ SharePoint site here.

For more information about our quality improvement initiatives, to request assistance with a project, or to request SharePoint access, please contact our Quality Improvement Specialist.

Latest Quality Improvement Projects


Quality Improvement Training for Surgical Residents

The Office of Surgical Quality has developed a Quality Improvement (QI) Program for surgical residents, providing residents with the knowledge and experience to execute a quality improvement project. During training, residents participate in group activities, which are applied to a parallel project, thus acquiring hands-on experience in project execution. Learn more below, and contact the Office of Surgical Quality if you are interested in QI training for your surgical residents.

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Length of Stay (LOS) after Esophagectomy - Thoracic

The Section of Thoracic Surgery, in collaboration with the Office of Surgical Quality, is carrying out a project to reduce the LOS (length of stay) after esophagectomy. They are in the second cycle of a PDSA (plan-do-study-act) and implementing enteral nutrition into the process.

For more information, please contact the Office of Surgical Quality.

Opioid Prescription Reduction – Otolaryngology

The Section of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, supported by the Office of Surgical Quality, is carrying out a project to optimize opioid prescribing after thyroidectomy. Outcome measures following the introduction of the intervention are now being collected for review.

For more information, please contact the Office of Surgical Quality.

Opioid Prescription Reduction - Urology

The Section of Urology and the Office of Surgical Quality have completed a project to optimize opioid prescribing after ureteroscopy.

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Opioid Prescription Reduction - Thoracic

The Section of Thoracic Surgery and the Office of Surgical Quality have collaborated to optimize opioid prescribing after minimally invasive lung resection.

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Mission

The OSQ uses the three pillars of quality - effectiveness, efficiency, and safety - to develop a framework based on shared learnings, data integration, and identified core clinical metrics. The framework is used to generate quality improvement projects, guide resource allocation, and establish a reporting map for the Calgary Zone Surgical Executive.

Vision

Develop an objective, data-driven framework used within the Calgary Zone to guide surgical practice. This will result in an improved patient experience, enhanced clinical outcomes, neutral or reduced care delivery costs, and a positive caregiver experience.

Values

The OSQ creates a respectful and transparent environment to promote collaboration, complete data sharing, and accountability. This caring culture of performance stresses improvement, not sanction.