Tag: Patient Satisfaction

Capture the right case data to maximize OR utilization

To rebound from the industry-wide disruption caused by COVID-19, many healthcare organizations are focused on optimizing OR processes to clear the backlog of elective surgical procedures and improve financial performance. However, traditional OR block management methods for surgical schedules provide limited foresight into what block time will ultimately go unused,…

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By: Austin Trout
March 19, 2021
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Hospitals ramp up outpatient TJA in the COVID-19 era

Fueled by a pandemic, patient demand, and competition with ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), hospital outpatient department (HOPD) leaders are feeling the push to offer same-day discharge for total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Outpatient TJA is nothing new, but it’s certainly growing in popularity, says John W. Stirton, MD, MBA, medical director…

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By: Jennifer Lubell
March 19, 2021
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Study shows increased telemedicine use early in the COVID-19 pandemic

Editor's Note This study by researchers from Harvard Medical School, Boston, on data from 16.7 million insured individuals, shows that 30.1% of total outpatient visits early in the COVID-19 pandemic (March 18-June 16, 2020) were conducted via telemedicine, and weekly telemedicine visits were 23 times higher, compared with the pre-COVID-19…

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By: Judy Mathias
February 4, 2021
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COVID-19 has hastened outpatient surgery migration

The latest surge of COVID-19 cases has put many hospitals in a precarious position, with shortages of staff, space, and supplies. Lessons learned earlier in the pandemic cannot necessarily shore up systems that have been overwhelmed with patients. Throughout most of 2020, some patients postponed medical or surgical care. When…

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By: Elizabeth Wood
December 15, 2020
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Patient-preference playlists improve pre- and postop experiences

Streaming music apps and access to music through smartphones and similar devices make it easy to provide many different genres of music and modalities that can ease surgical patients’ fears. The use of music in both pre- and postoperative settings has been extensively researched, but less is known about how…

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By: Judith M. Mathias, MA, RN
November 17, 2020
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Shifts in case mix bode well for future of outpatient surgery

Before COVID-19 emerged as the biggest disruptor of 2020, many ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) had been growing volume and receiving Medicare reimbursements for an increasing number of procedures. Stopping elective procedures in the spring was a significant setback, especially for smaller, independent facilities, notes a Global Healthcare Advisors (GHA) brief,…

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By: Elizabeth Wood
November 17, 2020
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Consider a PSH as a post-pandemic strategy

Across the US, surgical services are estimated to comprise around 20% of national health spending and typically generate up to 70% of total health system revenue.1, 2 That makes surgical services the largest revenue generator for a hospital, supporting access to numerous other healthcare services. Considering the average hospital has…

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By: Barbara McClenathan, MBA-HCM, BSN, RN, CNOR and Lisa Branding, MHSA
October 21, 2020
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Joint Commission refreshes Accelerate PI Dashboard Report data

Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced September 9 that it has refreshed the Accelerate PI Dashboard Report data for accredited hospitals, critical access hospitals, and nursing care centers. The reports reflect the most recent and available external data from CMS’ Hospital Compare and Nursing Home Compare websites as well as…

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By: Judy Mathias
September 10, 2020
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What does it take to become an ERAS hospital?

Leaders at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health System in Richmond started the journey to become an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) hospital in 2016 with the following problem statement: Across surgical specialties, and regardless of superior surgical technique, perioperative care, and anesthesia care, patients can experience extended length of hospital…

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By: Paula Spencer, MSHA, PMP, CPHIMS
August 21, 2020
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Public health implications of chronic hospital nurse understaffing in COVID-19 era

Editor's Note This study by noted nurse researcher Linda Aiken, PhD, RN, FAAN, and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, finds that hospital nurses were burned out and working in understaffed conditions in the weeks preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, posing risks to the public’s health. The…

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By: Judy Mathias
August 19, 2020
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