A new tool that assesses postoperative surgical site infection (SSI) risk in spine patients shows promise for improved patient care. Research on the tool, developed by a nurse, is still ongoing, but early results suggest the tool could help clinicians develop strategies to prevent many SSIs. Postoperative SSI rates for…

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Although most OR clinicians would agree poor team communication puts patients at risk, misunderstandings are not uncommon in the perioperative setting. Understanding how communication failures occur and how to correct course takes time and effort, but using the right tools and educating staff can ultimately make patients safer. “The biggest…

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Communication tools such as briefings, debriefings, handoffs, and checklists are considered cornerstones of surgical patient safety, but they’re only effective when used correctly. In many ORs, steps may be skipped that later are linked to adverse events that should not have happened. Greater mindfulness and proper implementation of communication tools…

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Surgeon champions can make or break a perioperative initiative. But it’s not enough to simply identify a single champion. OR leaders must engage a wide range of physicians to improve the organizational structure of the healthcare system. At Intermountain Healthcare, a 22-hospital system based in Salt Lake City, Utah, surgical…

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The rare but very serious condition of malignant hyperthermia (MH) remains a risk at all surgical facilities, including ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs). MH occurs in about one in 50,000 adults under anesthesia, and one in about 12,000 children, which translates to one or two deaths annually in the United States.…

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More than 350 surgical services leaders from across the US gathered at the OR Business Management Conference in Glendale, Arizona, in February to learn strategies for managing both healthcare and self-care. Attendees came away inspired by thought-provoking keynotes and ready to implement ideas sparked by interactive sessions, exhibitors, and their…

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Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs are gaining ground with recent data showing that they improve outcomes. The programs consist of multidisciplinary, evidence-based protocols implemented in the perioperative period to provide standardized patient care. Like other changes in healthcare delivery, adopting ERAS programs takes time and effort. Despite positive results…

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Many new healthcare payment models have cropped up in recent years, all with an eye toward rewarding providers for quality of service. In 2013, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) started a Bundled Payment for Care Improvement (BPCI) pilot with voluntary participation from numerous US facilities. Under BPCI,…

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