Staff input enriches labor benchmarking data
Labor is the most important resource in an OR and must be used effectively to maintain the financial health of an organization and the well-being of patients. “OR leaders need data tools to manage their labor dollars. How do you know if you are doing it well?” asks Sharon Ulep,…
Gain and sustain staff satisfaction through trust and respect
The trust bestowed upon the nursing profession by the public is a privilege and requires professional accountability for continual practice enhancement. Research finds that efforts to improve the culture of the perioperative work environment consistently lead to better teamwork and communication among staff. These enhancements will positively impact the safety…
Variation in physicians’ EHR documentation linked to patient safety
Editor's Note Physician-to-physician variation in electronic health record (EHR) documentation could result in patient harm and clinical inefficiencies, this study finds. The study by University of Michigan researchers included EHR data from 170,332 encounters led by 809 physicians in 237 practices and interviews with 40 physicians in 10 practices. The…
Improved reporting system increases disruptive behavior reports
Editor's Note After implementing an improved reporting system for disruptive behavior that included the ability to report positive behaviors, the number and length of reports increased in this study. Researchers compared reports in the Patient Safety Net (PSN) event reporting system (2010-2015) to the RL Solutions RL6 system (2015-2018), which…
OR leaders see benefits of briefer NPO period
Though long fasting before a surgical procedure is tied to increased patient risks, the outdated guideline of NPO after midnight continues to be practiced by many healthcare organizations. In 1999, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) revised their fasting guidelines to clear liquids up to 2 hours before surgery and…
Artificial intelligence makes surgical 'black box' smarter
Perioperative services departments have been slow to adopt the black boxes used in the aviation industry, partly because it can take a large team of experts hours to analyze data collected by the box. However, the team behind a surgical black box is using artificial intelligence (AI) to significantly cut…
Study: How patient registries could help control spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Editor's Note This study by Johns Hopkins researchers finds that the spread of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) bacteria that have high levels of resistance to most antibiotics could be reduced if only 25% of large healthcare facilities in a region used a patient registry. The researchers developed a computer simulation model…
HHS lowers maximum penalties for HIPAA violations
Editor's Note The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on April 26 announced it is lowering the maximum civil penalty for healthcare providers, health plans, and business associates who violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), based on the level of culpability. A 2013 rule created four…
How will artificial intelligence impact surgical patient care? Part 1
Artificial intelligence (AI) may be coming to your OR sooner than you think. AI is already being used to identify areas needing quality improvement by analyzing surgical workflow, communication patterns, and errors that went unnoticed during a procedure. OR leaders need to understand AI and participate in its development and…
Imagining the unimaginable: Preparing for mass casualty
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Joint Commission require healthcare facilities to have policies and protocols in place for emergency situations and to hold regular practice drills. With natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, or fires, often there is at least some warning—some amount of time to…
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