How to add more teeth to your loaner set policy
It’s one thing to have a policy on managing loaner instrument sets. But how do you put teeth in your policy so these sets can be reprocessed in time to provide safe care and comply with professional guidelines and regulatory requirements? Readers have asked how to get administrative support for…
Practice now applying the new ASC quality codes
While the deadline for beginning to report quality measures on Medicare claim forms is not until October 1, 2012, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) can start practicing. On April 1, 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a set of reporting codes for the first 5 measures. The…
HHS: A draft for closer scrutiny of HAIs in ASCs
Infection control is in the spotlight again, as ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) examine a draft Health and Human Services (HHS) document calling for closer scrutiny of precautions in outpatient settings. The agency released a draft of Phase 2 of its National Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) on April…
Study could lead to more scrutiny of anesthesia staffing for GI cases
Who should be giving sedation to low-risk patients having colonoscopies and upper GI endoscopies? This question may get a new look with a large new study in the March 21, 2012, JAMA. Researchers found use of anesthesia services for these cases has more than doubled over 7 years, jumping from…
Editorial
In a simple quiz, medical students are asked to read a short paragraph about what sounds like a robbery. Then, as individuals, they answer 18 questions about the paragraph. After that, they gather in a group to answer the questions as a team. On their own, some answer as few…
Using evidence-based nurse leadership guidance
Your OR is starting to bring in new graduates—a practice almost unheard of 15 years ago. You’re finding it’s taking them longer than expected to adjust. Or you’re running into roadblocks in fostering team communication among nurses, physicians, and other staff. Where do you turn? One place to look…
Greener ORs: Keys to making the business case
Perioperative staff and managers face a variety of pressures: improving processes, enhancing patient outcomes, documenting savings, meeting regulations, and more, all in a time of tighter budgets. With so much to balance, it can be difficult to consider (much less sell to upper management) the idea of greening the operating…
Untangling pharmaceutical waste requirements
There’s general agreement that keeping unused pharmaceuticals out of the nation’s water supply is a good idea. But figuring out how to comply with the tangle of regulations governing unused pharmaceuticals isn’t easy. How intensely your facility is involved in managing pharmaceutical waste likely depends on how active US Environmental…
Free Daily News
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- Renewed push for healthcare price transparency faces familiar challenges
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