Smart marketing helps ASCs attract patients and surgeons--Part 1
Recent developments, including the push to outpatient services, increased consumer engagement, and a focus on outcomes, have made ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) well positioned in the healthcare marketplace. But as with any marketplace, it takes bold thinking and thoughtful strategy to ensure an ASC stands out to consumers, physicians, and…
AABB publishes updated RBC transfusion guidelines
Editor's Note The AABB has published updated recommendations to assist clinicians in decisions on red blood cell (RBC) transfusion. The original recommendations were released in 2012. The update, titled “Red blood cell transfusion: 2016 clinical practice guideline from the AABB,” includes two main recommendations: Restrictive RBC transfusion thresholds: …
Total ankle replacement less costly in ASCs
Editor's Note A study presented at the 2016 American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgeons Annual Meeting found that total ankle replacements performed in ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) were about $4,000 less than those performed in inpatient facilities, the October Orthopedics Today reports. The 4-year study included 574 total ankle replacements…
Comparative effectiveness of prostate cancer treatments
Editor's Note At 10 years, prostate cancer mortality was low irrespective of the treatment and with no significant difference among treatments, this study finds. Treatments included active monitoring (1.5 deaths/1,000 person years), radical prostatectomy (0.9 deaths/1,000 person years), and external-beam radiotherapy (0.7 deaths/1,000 person years). Surgery and radiotherapy were associated…
Joint Commission seeking input on HAI revisions
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced October 12 that it is seeking input on proposed revisions to its National Patient Safety Goals on healthcare associated infections (HAIs) for ambulatory care and office-based surgery and hospitals and critical access hospitals. The proposed revisions address surgical site infections and central line-associated blood…
Casting vs surgery for ankle fractures in older adults
Editor's Note In older adults with unstable ankle fractures, close contact casting compared with surgery resulted in similar functional outcomes at 6 months, this study finds. The study, which included 620 patients (309 surgery, 311 casting) from 24 hospitals, found that postfracture symptoms, quality of life, pain, ankle motion, and…
FDA issues Safety Alert for St Jude defibrillators
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration on October 11 issued a Safety Alert for implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds) by St Jude Medical (Little Canada, Minnesota). In some cases, full battery drainage can occur in a day to a few weeks after the patient…
CMS launches new Twitter account
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on October 12 launched a new Twitter account, which will be led by the Media Relations Group in Washington, DC. @CMSgovPress will promote CMS news as it happens, offering members of the media and the public the opportunity to receive…
Factors in sustaining Magnet designation
Editor's Note Transformational nursing leaders lead high-performing teams and should be in place at all levels as an essential factor of Magnet sustainability, according to this study. Only 10% of Magnet hospitals sustain designation for 12 years or longer. Researchers identified patterns of high-performing behaviors and explored the perspective of…
Hospital consumer ranking systems based on faulty data
Editor's Note More transparency and validation are needed for consumer-based benchmarking methods, this study finds. Researchers evaluated differences between Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services measured rates of safety events for Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, and the US News & World Report determined patient safety scores. Discrepancies were found…