Z59.5 - The most important colorectal diagnosis of all?

Abstract

Colorectal surgeons and public health doctors do not seem like an obvious match, but we live in unique times and consequently, now more than ever, there is a necessity for the colorectal community to remember the breadth of our training, including those long-forgotten lessons from medical school. Social determinants of health dominate patient outcomes in some specialties more than others and some surgeons may feel that the relationship is less strong when compared to factors such as technical skill. Colorectal surgery is not, however, immune from this intimate relationship between public health and their patients' outcome. Geopolitical influences have led to a sea change in health outcomes across high income countries globally in the wake of the economic crisis of the late 2000s. At a time when yet more political and economic uncertainty looms around the globe it is time to remind ourselves of arguably the most important colorectal diagnosis of all – Z59.5.