Cancer resections conducted at low-complication, high-quality hospitals were less costly than those performed at low-quality hospitals, according to a recent study. The difference was most distinct in high-risk patients. Investigators looked at payments through 30 days after discharge in Medicare beneficiaries who underwent resection between 2010 and 2013. They used serious complication and mortality rates to categorize hospitals by quality. Among the results:

• Patient characteristics were similar at both high- and low-quality hospitals.
• Procedures performed at the lowest quality hospitals were significantly more expensive.
• Low-risk patients undergoing pancreatectomy at low-quality hospitals had payments of ~$29,000, vs ~$63,000 for high-risk patients.

The authors noted that referring high-risk patients to high-quality centers may optimize value.