Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on July 20, announced that it will eliminate and consolidate 200 additional standards, following the first reduction announced last year. Among the changes: Critical Access Hospitals: Of 150 in-scope elements of performance (EPs), 31 were deleted or consolidated, for a 15% reduction Office-Based Surgery: Of…

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Editor's Note People born between 1965 and 1980, known as Generation X, are not prepared financially for retirement, according to a study from the National Institute on Retirement Security. Those with a private retirement plan have about $40,000 in savings, lower income Gen Xers have about $4,300, and some 40%…

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Editor's Note On July 14 and 15, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) hosted a virtual event, the Anesthesia Quality and Patient Safety Meeting, which brought to light new research on when to administer epidural anesthesia in the OR, an anesthesiologist-led infection prevention program reducing rates of surgical site infections…

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Editor's Note This study by led nurse researchers at the Deaconess Health System, Evansville, Indiana, compares the degree of resilience and physical and mental health in nurses before and during COVID-19. A higher proportion of nurses surveyed during COVID-19 reported working more than 8 hours of overtime per week, had…

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Takeaways • Patient data & safety are at risk: 94% of hospitals have experienced at least one cyberattack. • Less than half of hospitals in the US carry cybersecurity insurance. • Security is a two-part strategy: cybersecurity insurance as well as preventative measures (eg, encrypted backups, patches, and training). When…

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Takeaways • Healthcare consumers are not aware that they can ask how much something costs. • There is disconnect between the law and common knowledge, and patients generally are confused about what they receive as good faith estimates. • In addition to incorrect CPT codes and OON allowable charges, the…

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The topic of artificial intelligence (AI) makes headlines almost daily. Eliminating any fatalistic doomsday scenarios, current literature is raising interesting points around the useability of AI and the ethical considerations regular users of AI should not ignore. In the healthcare space, the number one question seems to be, Is it…

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In this issue, I am following up the information I shared in the July issue of OR Manager regarding the findings of the 2022 National Nursing Workforce Survey. The perioperative nursing shortage is widespread, and what we are now experiencing is as unsettling and challenging as anything we have experienced…

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ORs are at the heart of healthcare organizations, where critical decisions are made, often under immense pressure. This pressure has escalated with ever-increasing demands, growing complexities, and the constant requirement for innovative solutions. In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and the emerging generative AI…

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Healthcare facilities face challenges in the recall process of tissue, non-biologic implants, and medical devices because of their time-sensitive nature and inherent risks to patient safety and compliance. Hospitals often use secondary sources for recall notifications. These lists, however, do not include two critical pieces—the identification of affected patient cases…

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