Surgeons trained in allopathic vs. osteopathic schools achieve similar clinical outcomes
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Key takeaways:
- Surgeons trained in allopathic vs. osteopathic medical schools achieved similar clinical outcomes.
- Outcomes measured included readmission rate, 30-day mortality rate and length of stay.
Allopathic vs. osteopathic medical education does not impact a surgeon’s clinical outcomes, according to data published in JAMA Surgery.
“These findings are consistent with prior work, which demonstrated no detectable difference in mortality among hospitalists by medical school training,” Tara A. Russell, MD, MPH, PhD, assistant professor-in-residence at the University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote in the study. “Taken together, this work should reinforce to policymakers, hospital leadership, physicians and patients that any differences between the two U.S. medical school degree programs do not translate to quantifiable differences in the quality of inpatient care delivered by MD and DO physicians and surgeons.”
Russell and colleagues retrospectively analyzed Medicare claims data from Medicare beneficiaries (aged 65 to 99 years) who were admitted between 2016 and 2019 to determine whether there was a difference in clinical outcomes between surgeons trained in allopathic (n = 39,339 surgeons) vs. osteopathic (n = 4,312 surgeons) medical schools.
Outcomes measured included 30-day mortality, hospital readmission and length of stay. Procedures included in the study were abdominal aortic aneurysm repairs, appendectomies, coronary artery bypass grafts, cholecystectomies, colectomies, cystectomies, hip and knee replacements, hysterectomies, laminectomies, liver and lung resections, prostatectomies and thyroidectomies.
Overall, Russell and colleagues found no significant differences in primary and secondary outcomes between the two cohorts of surgeons. The average 30-day mortality rate was 1.58% for surgeons trained in allopathic medicine vs. 1.61% for surgeons trained in osteopathic medicine, while the average readmission rate was 6.47% for the allopathic group vs. 6.6% for the osteopathic group. The average length of stay was 5.07 days in both groups.
“The finding that MDs and DOs achieve similar surgical clinical outcomes underscores the competency and expertise of both degree types in surgical care,” Russell and colleagues wrote. “This knowledge is crucial for patients, as it empowers them to make informed decisions about their health care clinicians based on factors beyond professional titles. It highlights the importance of assessing individual physicians based on their qualifications, experience and patient outcomes, rather than solely on their degree.”
They concluded, “Ultimately, this understanding promotes patient care by fostering trust and confidence in the medical professionals delivering surgical treatment, irrespective of their educational background.”
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