This summary is based on a special report by ECRI Institute. Can you consider using the Steris System 1E even without a biological indicator (BI)? Yes, but decide carefully, ECRI Institute advises. A number of questions have been raised about the Steris System 1E (SS1E), which is marketed by the…

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The preoperative process is critical to safe care and a smooth OR process. Missing paperwork, incomplete assessments, and the need for last-minute consults can disrupt any surgical day. Is a preoperative clinic the answer? Each organization needs to weigh the cost against the potential benefits, such as fewer delays and…

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If your OR wants to improve on-time first-case starts and turnover time—focus on everything else. That's the advice of Integris Southwest Medical Center in Oklahoma City, recently recognized as a "leading performer" for OR first-case on-time starts by VHA, Inc. Its strong performance is the outgrowth of a 4-year focus…

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Fiscal year 2013 will be a milestone for hospital reimbursement. That's the year Medicare's proposed new hospital value-based purchasing program starts. Under value-based purchasing, a portion of hospitals' DRG reimbursement will be based on their performance on quality metrics, including patient perceptions of the quality of care (PPQC). (See March…

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Hospitals are taking lessons from the high performance of Formula 1 racing pitstop crews and applying them to handoffs between the OR and the ICU. "The hand- off is like a pit stop: surgery is the first section of the race, the second part is intensive care, and the handoff…

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An occasional column on accreditation expectations. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on January 14, 2011, issued a Survey and Certification Memorandum revising the interpretive guidelines for anesthesia services. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has been announcing the success of its dialog with CMS and has identified…

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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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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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