Editor's Note Older patients who had major abdominal surgery and received interventions that included daily orienting communication, oral and nutritional assistance, and early mobilization were less likely to experience delirium and had a shorter hospital length of stay (LOS), this study finds. A total of 377 patients were included in…

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Editor's Note A phone-based transitional care program after complex abdominal surgery has high patient engagement and can be implemented using existing hospital infrastructure, this study finds. For the program, nurses met patients before hospital discharge and then contacted them within 24 to 72 hours to review: medication reconciliation any symptoms…

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Editor's Note Murmur software helps bridge communication gaps by sending information from an electronic health record, to a hospital's scheduling software, to a physician's cell phone if a patient is readmitted within 5 days, according to Medscape’s coverage of a study presented May 4 at the Society of Hospital Medicine’s…

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Editor's Note This study finds that video-based coaching is feasible for supplementing intraoperative teaching of residents to perform surgery. Teaching in a video-based coaching session was compared with teaching points made during a corresponding OR case. Teaching in video-based coaching sessions was more resident centered. Surgeons were more inquisitive about…

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Editor's Note Ambulatory surgery patients who received follow-up care via a mobile app had fewer in-person visits during the first 30 days after surgery, finds this study. Of 65 women having outpatient breast reconstruction surgery, 32 were in the mobile app group, and 33 were in the in-person follow-up care…

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Editor's Note To help surgical patients recover faster, Rush University Medical Center in Chicago has started providing them with a computer app that prompts, monitors, and encourages activities that promote healing. The app, called “SeamlessMD,” can be downloaded to a patient’s smartphone, tablet, or computer and is part of Rush’s…

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Editor's Note Patients whose surgeons had large numbers of patient complaints about rude and disrespectful behavior had a significantly increased risk of postoperative complications and being readmitted, this study finds. Of 32,125 patients included in the study, 3,501 (11%) had a postoperative complication (5.5% surgical, 7.5% medical). The adjusted rate…

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Editor's Note The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has developed two e-learning modules on informed consent that will be available through the Joint Commission’s learning management system for continuing education credit. The modules, which are available for free: help hospital leaders provide guidance on developing policies and ensuring…

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Editor's Note Greater sharing of team mental models (ie, shared understanding of team members) leads to better team performance, this study finds. The study also found that team mental models predicted team performance over time. The study involved 30 interns participating in a simulation training program. The findings suggest that…

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Like a football team gathering to confirm tactical details before a play, surgical staff often form a huddle to ensure readiness of the providers, patient, and equipment for the upcoming procedure. In a twist on the traditional huddle the day before surgery, staff at the Hospital of Central Connecticut (HOCC)…

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