Editorial
NSQIP—you see those initials more and more in studies on surgical quality. NSQIP stands for the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program from the American College of Surgeons (ACS). NSQIP is gathering momentum, with 475 hospitals enrolled. Benefits are credible data for improving surgical outcomes and the buy-in from surgeons. By…
FDA proposes a UDI system for medical devices
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its long awaited proposed rule for a unique device identification (UDI) system on July 3, 2012. Comments will be accepted for 120 days after the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register, which was expected in early July. The rule would…
Reducing variation in total knee replacements
A new study in the journal Health Affairs of total knee replacement (TKR) confirms that wide variations in care exist among hospitals based on factors such as geographic location. The High Value Healthcare Collaborative found significant variations in TKR among the 5 participating health care systems. Among these were length…
Tying anesthesia salaries to on-time starts, turnovers
Better data coupled with an at-risk salary model for anesthesiologists have helped one academic medical center to improve its performance for on-time starts and turnover time between cases. The hospital’s surgical volume was growing, and it had to make the most of its OR time. Yet a lot of the…
Key OR design, construction changes proposed
Key changes are being proposed in the OR design and construction guidelines that are used by the Joint Commission, federal agencies, and 42 states. OR leaders may wish to offer comments. Comments are accepted until November 22, 2012, on the draft 2014 Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care…
Lumens and endoscopes: Meeting cleaning basics
Narrow-lumened instruments and endoscopes are one of your biggest reprocessing challenges. They have the highest risk of being improperly processed, notes Michelle J. Alfa, PhD, FCCM, a researcher in health care-associated infections. If the lumens and channels of endoscopes are not cleaned properly, high-level disinfection or sterilization may not be…
Sleep apnea: Identifying patients at risk in the ASC
With obesity increasing across the country, it is not surprising that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) also is on the rise. For ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), obesity offers a major—but not the only—clue that a patient may have, or be at risk for, OSA. A common health risk of obesity, OSA…
August At a Glance
Regional anesthesia better for hip fracture Regional anesthesia was linked with a significant reduction in major pulmonary complications and death after hip fracture surgery in a study. Of patients having hip fracture surgery in 126 New York State hospitals, those who had regional rather than general anesthesia had 29% lower…
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