OR efficiency, staff satisfaction rise with TeamSTEPPS
Perioperative services that implement the TeamSTEPPS programโTeam Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safetyโcan see a range of benefits such as a better reporting culture, improved operational efficiency, and increased staff satisfaction, suggest emerging data presented in recent webinars and at a national conference. TeamSTEPPS was jointly developed…
ASCs struggle to match staffing to demand
Hiring experienced staff remains a challenge for leaders in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) even as many organizations increase case volume and specialties, according to the 2017 annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. More than two-thirds (67%) of respondents said that recruiting experienced RNs had become more difficult in the past 12…
Mobile devices: A menace to propriety and patient privacy
Imagine this scenario in your ambulatory surgery center (ASC): A husband and wife in their early 80s arrive for the husbandโs knee replacement surgery. His wife will drive him home after surgery, and their daughter will arrive from out of state the next day to help at home while he…
VA notifies 526 patients at risk from improperly cleaned scopes
Editor's Note The Veterans Affairs Medical Center, in Buffalo, New York, is notifying 526 patients that they may be at risk of infection from improperly cleaned endoscopes, the August 16 Buffalo News reports. A recent hospital review of endoscope disinfection processes found that steps in the manufacturerโs instructions may not…
More than 800 ICD-10 code changes coming
Editor's Note ChartLogic (Salt Lake City) is reporting that as of August 9, 2017, a total of ย 419 ICD-10 codes were added, 273 codes were revised, and 123 codes were being deleted, according to the August 15 Beckerโs Hospital CFO Report. The changes are slated for implementation on October 1,…
FDA: Bella Pharmaceuticals recalls all sterile drug products
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration on August 18 announced the recall by Bella Pharmaceuticals (Chicago, Illinois) of all lots of unexpired sterile drug products because of a lack of sterility assurance. Affected products include all lots distributed April 17, 2017, to August 10, 2017, nationwide. Productsย are packaged in…
Few outcome measures meet criteria for accuracy, validity assessment
Editor's Note This study from the Joint Commission finds that criteria for assessing whether outcome measures are accurate and valid enough to use for public reporting, payment, and accreditation are not well-defined. The authors propose four criteria to assess outcome measures: Strong evidence should exist that good medical care leads…
FDA: Class I recall of Zenith Alpha Thoracic Endovascular Graft by Cook Medical
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on August 16 classified the recall by Cook Medical Inc (Bloomington, Indiana) of its Zenith Alpha Thoracic Endovascular Graft as Class I, the most serious. Cook Medical is aware of reported cases where the graft became blocked or closed with blood clots…
Five-year outcomes of on-pump vs off-pump CABG
Editor's Note In this multicenter study, on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) led to significantly higher rates of 5-year survival and event-free survival than off-pump CABG. From 2002 to 2007, a total of 2,203 patients at 18 medical centers were randomly assigned to undergo either on-pump (1,099 patients) or off-…
Joint Commission: Quick Safety on noises, distractions in ORs
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on August 16 announced a new Quick Safety that focuses on noise and distractions in the OR and how they can make it difficult to hear and discern information or communicate effectively. ORs are prone to high levels of noise, which can be distracting and…