Editor's Note Peripheral nerve blocks were associated with fewer complications and lower costs in total hip and knee patients in this study, which was presented March 23 at the annual meeting of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. In this analysis of more than 1 million patients…

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Editor's Note Evaluation of patient age and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status as variables can help OR managers better predict turnaround times, which can facilitate scheduling, this study finds. Researchers developed models of turnaround times of 13, 632 OR procedures with respect to multiple variables including surgical schedule,…

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Editor's Note Patient safety in hospitals improved from 2010 to 2014 as the overall rate of hospital-acquired conditions (HACS) declined 17%, according to the new National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report Patients Safety Chartbook from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The overall HAC rate declined from 145/1,000…

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Editor's Note In this work system analysis, the inclusion of prefilled syringes into medication delivery by anesthesia providers simplified work processes and reduced the number and associated risks of system vulnerabilities. Eight system vulnerabilities were found in the prefilled syringe system versus 21 in the self-filled syringe system. An example…

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Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs are gaining ground with recent data showing that they improve outcomes. The programs consist of multidisciplinary, evidence-based protocols implemented in the perioperative period to provide standardized patient care. Like other changes in healthcare delivery, adopting ERAS programs takes time and effort. Despite positive results…

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Creating a “Cost Conscious Culture Committee” helped Maine Medical Center (MMC) in Portland shave more than $1.8 million in operating costs from the beginning of 2014 to the end of 2015. Not only that, but during 2015, MMC’s perioperative services leaders were also involved in a $40 million expansion project…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on March 9 that the Michigan Health & Hospital Association and its member hospitals have partnered with the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare on a statewide high reliability organization improvement effort. Michigan is the second state to partner with the Center; South Carolina…

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Recommendations emerging from a data analytics project have helped OR leaders at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, better anticipate daily surgical case volume and share that information with their managers. Data gleaned from the project are now being used to predict staffing needs for the OR, anesthesia department,…

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Surgeons often complain that their physician preference cards (PPCs) are not current, and keeping on top of the situation can be a struggle. Yet having accurate information on these cards greatly enhances both efficiency and patient safety, say surgical services leaders who have overhauled their systems. In this article, experts…

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Even the most experienced OR leaders often view physician preference cards (PPCs) as a beast that acts out and demands attention at the most inconvenient times. Two organizations that have managed to tame the PPC beast shared their experiences with OR Manager. Updating cards saves more than $3.2 million Tresa…

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