The development of a congenital heart programme quality dashboard to promote transparent reporting of outcomes.

In 2001, the Institute of Medicine identified healthcare transparency as a necessity for re-designing a quality healthcare system; however, despite widespread calls for publicly available transparent data, the goal remains elusive. The transparent reporting of outcome data and the results of congenital heart surgery is critical to inform patients and families who have both the wish and the ability to choose where care is provided. Indeed, in an era where data and means of communication of data have never been easier, the paucity of transparent data reporting is paradoxical. We describe the development of a quality dashboard used to inform staff, patients, and families about the outcomes of congenital heart surgery at the Stollery Children's Hospital.