Ambulatory Surgery

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Pain is a growing business for ASCs

The technology of pain relief is improving constantly, and ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) are finding that staying abreast of this growing specialty serves patients as well as their bottom line. For the increasingly complex orthopedic procedures that are migrating to the outpatient setting, pain management is a critical element. Sufferers…

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By: Paula DeJohn
July 1, 2011
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Benchmarking facility times for pain

Pain management procedures have exploded in ambulatory settings, just as GI endoscopy and cataract surgery did previously. More than 1.5 million low-back injections for the treatment of pain or mobility problems are conducted each year, and that number is expected to rise as the population ages. Injections for low back…

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By: Judith M. Mathias, RN, MA
July 1, 2011
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New bill would fix ASC payments

A new bill introduced in the US Congress June 3, 2011, if passed, would place ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) on what the ASC industry says is a more equal footing with hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) in their Medicare payment updates. ASCs currently are reimbursed at 56% of the amount paid…

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By: OR Manager
July 1, 2011
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A plan for ASC value-based purchasing

The government laid out a roadmap for moving toward value-based purchasing (VBP) for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in an April 2011 report to Congress. The Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary was required to develop a plan under the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010. The government sees VBP as…

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By: OR Manager
June 1, 2011
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Managing SSI surveillance in an ASC

Tracking surgical site infections (SSI) is not easy for ambulatory surgical centers (ASC). Most patients are gone soon after waking up, but infections may not occur for days, weeks, or, in the case of implants, up to a year or more. Yet tighter infection reporting rules (along with other quality…

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By: OR Manager
June 1, 2011
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Coping with state infection reporting

Ambulatory surgery center (ASC) staff, like their hospital colleagues, are battling health care-acquired infections (HAIs), but there's a twist: Most of the newest regulations shaping ASC infection control programs are coming from state legislators, not federal officials. So far, 9 states have passed laws requiring ASCs to report infections related…

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By: Paula DeJohn
May 1, 2011
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Communication reduces cancellations

Day-of-surgery cancellations decreased dramatically from 8% in 2008 to fewer than 3% in 2010 after a performance improvement (PI) project on preoperative communication at the Stony Brook University Medical Center Ambulatory Surgery Center, Stony Brook, New York. "The number of cases performed has increased, along with revenue. Patient safety and…

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By: Judith M. Mathias, MA, RN
April 1, 2011
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A few scope details still need attention

Freestanding centers are complying with most major recommendations for reprocessing gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes. But a few areas still need attention, a new report indicates. The report, by the AAAHC Institute, a subsidiary of the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, compiles quality and efficiency data on colonoscopy from 69 ambulatory…

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By: OR Manager
April 1, 2011
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Is it time for a surgery center EMR?

The few ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) that use full electronic medical records (EMR) systems are not only ahead of their colleagues in the ASC industry. They are outpacing most hospitals as well. That does not mean others can safely ignore the trend. Before long, industry experts agree, health care organizations…

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By: Paula DeJohn
March 1, 2011
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Adding new procedures to an ASC

Advances in technology have led to shorter patient stays, improved outcomes, and the feasibility of performing more procedures on an outpatient basis. That means ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) need to continually reevaluate their procedure mix to be sure they are not missing out on potential business. Though taking on new…

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By: Paula DeJohn
February 1, 2011
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