British heart journal
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British heart journal · Nov 1995
In-hospital audit underestimates early postoperative morbidity after cardiac surgery.
The demand for open heart surgery has driven current practice towards early postoperative discharge and interhospital transfer to maximise patient throughput. The extent to which this redirects morbidity to other healthcare providers is unknown. ⋯ Inhospital audit underestimates early morbidity after cardiac surgery. The burden transferred to other healthcare providers is considerable and has important financial implications for purchasers.