Ambulatory surgery PSH reduces LOS, hospital admission
Editor's Note Implementation of a Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) program for patients undergoing ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a Kaiser Permanente practice model was associated with significantly reduced length of stay and unplanned hospital admission in this study. The analysis included 878 patients in the preimplementation period and 1,082 in the…
Study: Emotional intelligence of nurse managers
Editor's Note The level of emotional intelligence among nurse managers depends on years of experience and postgraduate degree, this study finds. Nurse managers with less than 2 years of experience had statistically significant lower โusing emotionsโ branch score and strategic emotional intelligence. Those with mastersโ degrees in nursing scored significantly…
Radial artery access, same-day discharge reduce PCI costs
Editor's Note In this study, hospitals reduced costs associated with percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) when cardiologists performed the procedures through the radial artery and discharged patients on the same day. The analysis of 280,000 Medicare patients found that an average cost of $13,389 for the radial artery approach with same-day…
U-M researchers invent low-cost robot
Editor's Note Researchers at the University of Michigan (U-M), Ann Arbor, have invented a new $500 surgical instrument that is vying to replace the $2 million deVinci robot for minimally invasive surgery. FlexDex, a mechanical platform that mounts to the surgeonโs arm, enables the tip of an instrument to mimic…
Joint Commission updates sentinel event stats
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced February 22 that it had updated its sentinel event statistics through the end of 2016. Of 824 events reviewed, unintended retention of a foreign object topped the list at 120. Wrong-patient, wrong-site, or wrong-procedure was second at 104 events, and operative/postoperative complication was seventh…
Study: Needlestick injury prevalence, attitude changes, prevention practices
Editor's Note Needlestick injury and occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens are significant hazards for surgeons and nurses, attitudes about risks are changing, and the true seroconversion risk is underestimated, this study finds. A total of 358 medical students and 247 surgery staff were surveyed, and results were compared with 2003…
ECRI Institute releases free mergers and acquisitions infographic
Editor's Note ECRI Institute (Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania) on February 21 released a free mergers and acquisitions infographic.ย The infographic is intended to help hospitals and health systems who have completed a merger or acquisition to identify supply-item savings and opportunities and develop a consolidated medical equipment strategy.ย Registration required. You…
Joint Commission launches Medication Compounding Certification
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on February 21 launched a Medication Compounding Certification that addresses new medication compounding laws and regulations. The certification, which is awarded for a 2-year period, was developed in collaboration with the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) to help healthcare organizations ensure compliance with Joint Commission…
Novel program decreases readmissions of ileostomy patients
Editor's Note Implementation of a novel program by researchers from Emory University, Atlanta, for patients with newly created ileostomies reduced 30-day readmissions by 58% and cost of readmissions per patient by more than 80%. Typically, nearly 30% of patients with newly-formed ileostomies require readmission from severe dehydration or associated complications.…
Partnership for Health IT Patient Safety issues new recommendations
Editor's Note The Partnership for Health IT Patient Safety, a multi-stakeholder collaborative convened and operated by ECRI Institute, has issued new safe practice recommendations for the use of health IT in improving the accuracy of patient identification. Mistaken identifications can lead to wrong patient care, improper care, or no care…