JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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Recent reports from New York and northern New England claim that statewide quality improvement initiatives and outcome reporting are leading to decreased mortality following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. ⋯ In-hospital mortality after CABG surgery has decreased in Massachusetts despite the absence of statewide outcome reporting. Direct program evaluations are needed to better characterize the efficacy of the ongoing statewide outcome studies in New York and northern New England.