Audit of the Quality of Surgical Treatment of Colorectal Cancer

Quality improvement initiatives and in particular the accreditation procedure raises the inevitable question of measuring quality in health. Several surgical audits have been carried out internationally, showing the importance of collecting reliable and valid information on the quality of care. This approach allows an evaluation and improvement of the quality of care provided, significantly correlated to a direct impact on morbidity and mortality. In addition, it provides valuable information for evidence-based medicine research as it provides data on patients often excluded from therapeutic trials.

Colorectal cancer is the first digestive cancer and the third cancer worldwide. Surgical resection is the main curative treatment. Surgical quality is associated with better short and long term results. Quality improvement measures, with the goal to improve surgical care of colorectal cancer, are becoming a standard worldwide.

The aim of this project is to audit the surgical care in patients treated for colorectal adenocarcinoma. This study focused on collecting data from all consecutive cases of colon and rectal adenocarcinoma operated at the National Institute of Oncology in Rabat. Using standardized forms, the investigators collected data relating to each stage of treatment: pre-therapeutic, surgical and post-operative in order to measure the quality of the surgical care delivered. These results were compared to established benchmarks and to similar audit studies carried out in other countries around the world.