Using Intelligent Automation to Improve Perioperative Operations
Perioperative leaders share one primary goal: utilize operating rooms to the fullest potential. Achieving this requires a delicate balance of complex variables such as OR block allocation, surgeon schedules and preferences, hospital policies, and staff schedules, but perioperative leaders typically lack consistent, reliable, and up-to-date information to identify opportunities to…
Dynamic Block Management Digital Transformation Takes Perioperative Performance To The Next Level
The operating suite is a key revenue driver for hospitals, making prime-time OR minutes a critical resource that needs to be carefully managed. But effectively scheduling and managing this complex department is a tremendous challenge. Perioperative leaders are continuously striving to improve utilization, grow surgical volume, keep surgeons satisfied, and properly align resources to…
Improve OR Utilization With Predictive Analytics
The operating room is one of the most lucrative areas within the hospital. Adding as little as one case each day or improving room utilization by 1% can significantly impact your hospital's bottom line. Perioperative leaders are always looking for ways to improve performance and maximize primetime OR and resource…
Reports of anaphylaxis after Pfizer, Moderna vaccines
Editor's Note Since emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines in December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) has received reports of allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. From December 14, 2020, through January 18, 2021, 9,943,247 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and…
CDC updates guidelines on school reopenings
Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on February 12 updated its guidelines for K-12 school reopenings. The update provides an operational strategy for safe delivery of in-person instruction through the integration of mitigation and control components as well as public health efforts. Included are the following:…
Effect of COVID-19 on stress levels, experience of academic surgeons
Editor's Note In this study led by the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, researchers find that during the early months of COVID-19, the personal and professional experiences of housestaff and faculty differed. Of 335 surgeons from five academic medical centers who completed a survey, 49.3% were housestaff and 50.7% were faculty.…
Joint Commission issues new Quick Safety on safe, equitable care during COVID-19
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on February 8, issued a new Quick Safety addressing safe, equitable care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Quick Safety focuses on actions organizations can take to: address racial and ethnic disparities remove barriers to providing safe, equitable healthcare. The pandemic has put a spotlight on…
Increase in pediatric perforated appendicitis in New York City area during COVID-19
Editor's Note This study led by researchers from NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone, New York City, finds that children in the New York City metropolitan region at the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak had higher rates of perforated appendicitis compared with historical controls. Researchers…
FDA issues EUA for monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration, on February 9, issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Eli Lilly’s (Indianapolis, Indiana) combination therapy of two antibodies, bamlanivimab and etesevimab. The authorization is for the two antibodies to be administered together for treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults and…
CDC: Racial, ethnic disparities in prevalence of mental health conditions, substance abuse during COVID-19
Editor's Note This study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of current depression, increased or newly initiated substance use, and suicidal thoughts/ideation has been higher for some racial and ethnic minority groups, especially Hispanics. A survey of 1,004 US…