Tag: Productivity

Performance improvement teams can move the needle from 'good' to 'great'

Performance improvement teams (PITs) have helped many businesses resolve workflow or other obstacles impeding efficiency. For perioperative services, PITs consist of a multidisciplinary group of frontline personnel associated with a defined process. PITs often have a key facilitator and are sponsored by leadership. Missions and goals are created, progress is…

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By: OR Manager
October 17, 2016
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Computer algorithm shows need for high-volume care for heart, lung transplant patients

Editor's Note Using a computerized mathematical model, Johns Hopkins researches investigated whether they could improve heart and lung transplants by transferring patients from low- to high-volume transplant centers. Among the findings: For heart transplants, 10 lives were saved after one center closure, and 240 lives were saved after up to…

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By: Judy Mathias
September 14, 2016
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Public wants 16-hour shifts for residents

Editor's Note A total of 86% of general public respondents to a national survey want 16-hour shifts for first-year residents to remain, and 80% support dropping the maximum shift limit for second-year residents and above from 28 hours to 16 hours. The survey was conducted by Public Citizen, an independent…

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By: Judy Mathias
September 14, 2016
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Effect of Lean on surgical wait times, efficiency in a VA hospital

Editor's Note The implementation of Lean system redesigns was associated with a significant and sustained wait list reduction from 33.4 days to 12.0 days for patients waiting for elective general surgery in a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital, this study finds. Along with the three-fold decrease in wait times from 2014…

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By: Judy Mathias
September 9, 2016
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Study: Physicians spend half their time on EHRs, desk work

Editor's Note In this study, researchers found that physicians spent 49.2% of their time during the day on electronic health records and desk work and 27% of their time with patients. In addition, they spent an extra 1 to 2 hours each night during their personal time on EHRs. While…

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By: Judy Mathias
September 7, 2016
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OR competency programs boost staff loyalty and productivity

Much has been written about projected nursing shortages and the difficulty of recruiting and retaining nurses. With few options for structured education specifically geared toward the OR, and pending retirements of many perioperative services leaders, most healthcare facilities are relying on staff—which may or may not include a nurse educator—to…

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By: OR Manager
July 19, 2016
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Operational efficiencies: Improvement in first-case start times

Many OR leaders have taken on process improvement projects in an effort to save time and money, and some are more successful than others. For some facilities, partnerships with industry experts can enhance the likelihood of achieving and sustaining goals. Such was the case for Beloit Memorial Hospital, which teamed…

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By: OR Manager
May 16, 2016
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Musical preference differs by OR specialty, professional role

Editor's Note Musical preferences and perceptions of the effect of music in the OR differ by professional status and specialty, this study finds. A survey of 282 patients and 390 providers (ie, physicians, residents, and nurses in anesthesiology and surgery), found that: Patients who highly enjoyed music said it alleviated…

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By: Judy Mathias
April 15, 2016
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Implications of patient age, ASA status on OR management decisions

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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By: Judy Mathias
March 23, 2016
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Advance preparation tends to waste many absorbable hemostatic agents

Results of a recent survey suggest that a great deal of unnecessary product waste could be avoided if OR nurses changed their approach to using absorbable hemostatic agents. The survey, administered electronically to 200 US registered nurses in late 2014, found that 62% of respondents prepared absorbable hemostatic agents before…

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By: Elizabeth Wood
March 17, 2016
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