Quality and Safety in Health Care, Part XVII: The ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

Mainly due to the positive effect on quality and safety from the Veterans Health Administration National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (VASQIP), a National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) for private hospitals was begun, which is now under the auspices of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). More than 600 hospitals now participate in the ACS-NSQIP. The information gained by the institutions is typically utilized to initiate quality improvement activities. The ACS-NSQIP also shares information on how to get better results, has national meetings, and provides other support.