To improve healthcare delivery and eliminate duplication, hospitals are banding together into systems in which specialties such as labor and delivery and smaller surgical cases are performed at satellite hospitals, and larger, more complex procedures are done at the main campus. This is the approach taken at the Cleveland Clinic,…

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Editor's Note This study found no cost benefit to maintaining a fully stocked malignant hyperthermia (MH) cart with a full supply of dantrolene in maternity units, where triggering agents are rarely used. Maintaining an MH cart in every maternity unit in the US would reduce morbidity and mortality costs by…

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Editor's Note Patients having outpatient surgery in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) versus hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) are less likely to be admitted to a hospital or visit an emergency department a short time after surgery, this study finds. The study is the first to provide causal evidence on ASC quality,…

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Editor's Note US hospitals added 8,000 jobs in April to a seasonally adjusted 5,159,800, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on May 4. That is 94,500 more employees than a year ago. The overall unemployment rate fell by 0.2% in April to 3.9%, the lowest rate since December 2000.

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Editor's Note The first look at possible new ICD-10 codes is expected in early May, and anxiety is building, according to the April 24 ICD10monitor. The comment period has passed for providing feedback on the ICD-10-PCS (inpatient procedure coding) codes, and comments for the ICD-10-CM (diagnosis coding) proposals are not…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on April 24 issued its hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) proposed rule for FY 2019. The proposed rule increases rates by 1.75%, which reflects the projected market-basket update of 2.8% for hospitals that were meaningful users of electronic health…

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Editor's Note The ECRI Institute on April 23 announced the winners of its seventh annual Healthcare Supply Chain Achievement Award, which recognizes hospitals and healthcare systems for their comprehensive and effective use of ECRI Institute’s PriceGuide™ and SELECTplus® supply and capital procurement advisory programs. Eleven winners were selected from nearly…

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Editor's Note A Coherent Market Insights report predicts the global market for spinal fusion devices is set to grow at a 4.6% compound annual growth rate through 2025, after hitting $7.5 billion in 2016, according to the April 17 Becker’s Spine Review. The increasing incidence of spinal deformities will boost…

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Editor's Note Increased revenues had a greater impact than decreased costs in hospitals that became more profitable between 2003 and 2013, finds this Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) study published February 14 online ahead of print in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. In this analysis of 2,824…

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Editor's note The ECRI Institute on April 2 issued a free white paper on “5 Ways to Drive Savings and Quality on Your Purchased Services.” The 5 key areas to consider when developing a best practice process to evaluate purchased services, reduce spending, and make informed vendor selections are: Making…

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