Editor's Note Assigning certain anesthesiologists to specific surgeons affected team performance and turnaround time in this study. Researchers assessed the relationship between turnaround times and assignment of anesthesiologists to surgeons using a Monte Carlo simulation. They constructed managerial decision tables for the assignments, and defined a decision algorithm based on…
Editor's Note Communication patterns and needs vary between members of the surgical team and by specialty during simulated operative emergencies, and the effect of directed communication in eliciting a response (ie, closed loop communication) depends on the clinical status of the patient, finds this study. Surgeons and nurses initiated fewer…
Editor's Note Chicacgo-area hospitals are using apps to help patients prepare for and recover from surgery and communicate their symptoms, the November 30 Chicago Tribune reports. Amita Health is now using the TapCloud app with good results−of 309 orthopedic patients who have used the app, none have had to be…
Editor's Note Denver Health was awarded a nearly $232,000 federal grant to expand its text messaging program, the October 13 Denver Post reports. The system will use the grant to link text messages directly to patients’ electronic health records so physicians can see patients’ texts on their medical charts. Denver…
Is it possible to adequately capture the experience of patients undergoing anesthesia when their awareness and perceptions are typically altered by their very experience? A 5-year study of anesthesia patient satisfaction suggests that not only is it possible, but the results are meaningful in providing anesthesia-specific validation and in identifying…
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…
Editor's Note Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) must comply with nondiscrimination requirements in Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act by October 19, the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association announced on September 28. The Act prohibits sex discrimination and requires language assistance for those with limited English proficiency and effective communication for…
Editor's Note Surgeon buy-in and OR teamwork characterized by shared clinical leadership, open communication, active coordination, and mutual respect related positively to case-related conversation prompts, but not to completing procedural checks, this study finds. A total of 207 procedures in 10 South Carolina hospitals were included in the study. The…
Editor's Note Using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s online toolkit, Communication and Optimal Resolution (CANDOR), Maryland-based MedStar Health has set up a standardized program for physicians to communicate with patients and family members about adverse events, according to the August 22 Kaiser Health News. A team of physicians,…
Editor's Note Several technical and nontechnical skill sets of practicing surgeons were found to be in need of improvement, in this study, which provided support for implementing coaching programs for surgeons on an ongoing basis. A total of 32 surgeons (18 general, 14 gynecologists) from 6 hospitals were assessed; 9…