Thousands of Californians use outpatient surgery centers for colonoscopies, arthroscopies, eye surgeries, cosmetic and plastic surgeries, endoscopies, biopsies, and other procedures. These surgical services have migrated from inpatient to outpatient settings in response to advances in technology, cost concerns, and patient preferences. Yet little is known about the costs of these procedures or the quality of care provided in California.

The California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) held a Sacramento briefing to review how ambulatory surgery services are regulated, what information is public, and the availability of quality-of-care data, such as reports of adverse events. The CHCF-commissioned research included a 50-state environmental scan to compare California with other states.

The speakers were:

• Yvonne Choong, senior director, Center for Medical and Regulatory Policy, California Medical Association
• Bryce W. A. Docherty, KP Public Affairs, representing the California Ambulatory Surgery Association
• Elizabeth Imholz, special projects director, Consumers Union
• Brenda Klütz, managing partner, B & R Klütz Consulting
• Maribeth Shannon, director, Informing Decisionmakers, CHCF

A recording of the briefing and the presentation slides are available below.