Grants Funded
Grant applicants for the 2024 cycle requested a total of nearly $3 million dollars. The PSF Study Section Subcommittees of Basic & Translational Research and Clinical Research evaluated more than 100 grant applications on the following topics:
The PSF awarded research grants totaling over $650,000 dollars to support more than 20 plastic surgery research proposals.
ASPS/PSF leadership is committed to continuing to provide high levels of investigator-initiated research support to ensure that plastic surgeons have the needed research resources to be pioneers and innovators in advancing the practice of medicine.
Research Abstracts
Search The PSF database to have easy access to full-text grant abstracts from past PSF-funded research projects 2003 to present. All abstracts are the work of the Principal Investigators and were retrieved from their PSF grant applications. Several different filters may be applied to locate abstracts specific to a particular focus area or PSF funding mechanism.
Independent and Hospital affiliated Ambulatory Surgery Centers: Outcomes and Access
Joseph Fahmy MD
2023
The Regents of the University of Michigan
Pilot Research Grant
Hand or Upper Extremity, Other
Project Summary: Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are now the most common setting for procedural care in the United States, particularly for plastic surgery patients. Today, over 70% of surgical care is performed at ASCs. This trend continues to gain momentum. Previously, most ASCs were physician owned. Large healthcare systems are now acquiring and/or building ASCs to offset losses from other departments. Widespread ASCs are beneficial for patients as well. For example, not requiring support from a large hospital may improve access for those living in rural settings. Additionally, given the efficiency by which ASCs are run, these facility types are a driver of reduced healthcare spending. However, conclusions on the benefit of transition toward ASC practice are not well validated, as a growing body of research is needed to better define how such a shift in practice patterns have influenced the landscape of surgical care. The theme of this project is to better quantify how a shift toward outpatient surgical care has influenced racial, ethnic, and economic disparities in access to surgical care by three main outcome measures: (1) access (2) total cost, and (3) unexpected postoperative visits. Findings from our proposed work are aimed at two audiences. First, it will enable physicians to better counsel the patients, particularly when considering operative settings. Second, the results will influence further policy related to efficient and widespread ASC use.
Impact Statement: Outpatient surgery is an essential part of contemporary plastic surgery practice. Overall, over 50-70% of cases are performed at ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Little is known about access and outcomes for surgical care at these facilities. Despite the rate at which surgeries are performed at ASCs, research and quality measures are extremely limited. Our proposed research will therefore influence ASC based practice through policy and guideline development. This work is innovative for several reasons, including application of novel statistical techniques. More importantly, this work will contribute to defining how ASCs are assessed pertaining to readmission measures.
