Surgical Outcome Research Center
The Surgical Outcome Research Center (SORC), founded in 2023 and based at the University Hospital Basel (USB), is a pioneering initiative dedicated to advancing clinical surgical research. Our focus lies in outcome research—analyzing the results and consequences of surgical interventions to enhance patient care, safety, and treatment effectiveness.
Despite significant advances in surgical techniques and technologies, there remains a critical need for systematic, real-world evaluation of surgical outcomes. Many healthcare systems lack robust, standardized methods for documenting and analyzing patient recovery, complications, and long-term health improvements. This gap hinders quality assurance, limits evidence-based decision-making, and impedes the development of predictive models that could guide personalized treatment strategies.
We are completely satisfied with you and SORC. You have created significant added value for the clinical researchers in the surgery department, and for that I would like to both congratulate and thank you. You have the right attitude and have recruited the right people. So you get top marks from me.
Prof. Dr. Walter Weber, Medical Head of the Department of Breast, Abdominal, and Pelvic Surgery, Chief of Breast Surgery, Co-Director of the Breast Clinic, and Deputy Medical Director of the USB
Our Team
We have a dedicated team of professionals, covering a wide range of expertises in clinical research. We are all thrilled by working together with the clinicians on their respective projects. And we all work side by side in one big office, interacting closely and thus ensuring, that projects get continuous support throughout their different phases.
Our vision
We envision a healthcare landscape where every surgical decision is informed by comprehensive, real-world outcome data. By fostering a culture of transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement, SORC aims to become a national and international leader in surgical outcome research—ensuring that patients receive the most effective, evidence-based care possible.
Our mission
- Promote clinical surgical outcome research across disciplines.
- Develop and implement multicenter documentation systems (registers) for surgical patient cohorts.
- Support the planning, execution, and dissemination of clinical studies.
- Provide methodological, statistical, and regulatory expertise to surgical research teams.
- Foster education and training in patient-oriented outcome research.
- Facilitate interinstitutional, interprofessional, and interdisciplinary collaborations.
Our governance
SORC operates under the auspices of the Surgical Outcome Research Basel (SORB) Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to promoting high-quality, patient-centered surgical research. Most board members of the foundation are Heads of the different surgical clinics at the University Hospital Basel (USB).
We are one of several research clusters within the Faculty of medicine at the University of Basel.
Our location
We are situated next door to the University Hospital Basel. Our SORC core team works in an open office space with approximately 40 workstations. Part of these workstations are flexible and can be used on request by researchers from our partner clinics.