Culture, communication, and clinical skills essential for ERAS success
Strategies that can achieve the aims of excellence in clinical care, fewer complications, and reduced costs are sorely needed, and the comprehensive implementation of an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program can help achieve these aims in the surgical population. ERAS pathways have been found to reduce morbidity, hospital stay,…
Monitoring implant contracts can save millions of dollars
Orthopedic implants comprise a significant percentage of an OR’s costs, so effectively managing contracts for these items can help OR leaders in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) bolster the bottom lines of their organizations. “The contract is your best mechanism to control the influx of non-anticipated items, resolve overcharges,…
Preoperative protocols enhance outpatient total joint outcomes
On January 1, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began reimbursing healthcare providers for total hip arthroplasty performed in outpatient hospital settings and total knee arthroplasty in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), thereby opening the floodgates for explosive growth in outpatient total joint arthroplasty (TJA). About a million…
Panel issues guidelines for safe resumption of elective orthopedic surgery
Editor's Note An expert panel from the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons on July 15 issued guidelines that include recommendations for when hospitals and surgical centers can resume elective orthopedic procedures. A set of 30 recommendations are presented in four categories: General—includes criteria based on factors, such as…
US House of Representatives moves to expand the use of telehealth beyond COVID-19
Editor's Note Leaders of the US House of Representatives telehealth caucus introduced legislation on July 16 to permanently open up access to telehealth services for Medicare patients, the July 16 Fierce Healthcare reports. The bipartisan bill will eliminate restrictions on use in Medicare patients, and it will provide a bridge…
COVID-19 ICU mortality has fallen by a third
Editor's Note This meta-analysis from the University of Bristol, UK, finds that overall COVID-19 intensive care mortality has fallen by a third since the start of the pandemic. Data from 24 studies, including 10,150 patients from centers in Asia, Europe, and North America, demonstrate an ICU mortality rate of 41.6%,…
COVID-19 data reporting moved to HHS
Editor's Note The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on July 15 announced that in a move to improve information gathering and resource allocation, hospitals will begin sending their COVID-19 related data directly through HHS Protect or TeleTracking rather than submitting it the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention…
Joint Commission places hold on public reporting of perinatal care measures
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on July 8 announced that because of extended data submission timelines and optional reporting for fourth quarter 2019 data due to COVID-19, the planned July 2020 display of two ORYX Perinatal Care measures on Quality Check has been placed on hold. The measures are: PC-02…
Researchers use AI to build COVID-19 predictions
Editor's Note Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York, are using data collected from around the world by Johns Hopkins University to build prediction models that take advantage of artificial intelligence (AI) to track COVID-19 and predict where it might surge next. The models examine trends and patterns…
CDC: COVID-19 outbreak in college students after spring break trip to Mexico
Editor's Note Transmission of COVID-19 during and after a college spring break trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, (March 14-19) by University of Texas at Austin students led to 64 cases, including 60 of 183 travelers, 1 of 13 household contacts, and 3 of 35 community contacts, according to the…
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