Accreditation of specialized surgical units in general and digestive surgery: A step forward by the AEC for quality improvement and subspecialized Fellowship training

At present, in daily practice, the Departments of Surgery in most hospitals in Spain are organized into Specialized Surgical Units, including specific structure, human resources, organization, teaching and research in the different subspecialties included in General and Digestive Surgery (GDS). Furthermore, there are also several specialized fellowship-like, training programs in the different subspecialties already working in some of these Specialized Surgical Units, although not officially financed. However, until now there was no model for accreditation or recognition of these Units or fellowship programs. The AEC has designed a regulation for the accreditation of Specialized Surgical Units in GDS, that will also serve as a model to define subspecialty training in these areas. The accreditation process, and with it, the process of quality improvement, includes different quality indicators, including unit structure, process quality, and result indicators. (C) 2021 AEC. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Currently, most surgical departments in Spanish hospitals are organized into specialized surgical units, focusing on different subspecialties within General and Digestive Surgery (GDS). These units have specific structures, human resources, organization, teaching, and research. Some of them also offer specialized fellowship-like training programs in the respective subspecialties, although they are not officially funded. However, there has been no model for accreditation or recognition of these units or fellowship programs. The AEC has developed a regulation for the accreditation of specialized surgical units in GDS, which will serve as a model for defining subspecialty training in these areas. The accreditation process involves various quality indicators, including unit structure, process quality, and outcome indicators.