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Background to the debate: Several studies have found disparities in the outcome of medical procedures across different hospitals--better outcomes have been associated with higher procedure volume. An Institute of Medicine workshop found such a "volume-outcome relationship" for two types of cancer surgery: resection of the pancreas and esophagus (http://www.iom.edu/?id=31508). This debate examines whether physicians have an ethical obligation to inform patients of hospital outcome disparities for these cancers.
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