Association of disposable OR jackets with SSIs
Editor's Note The use of long-sleeved disposable OR jackets as recommended by AORN is not associated with reductions in surgical site infections (SSIs) and presents a fiscal burden, this study finds. In this analysis of 60,009 patients in 12 hospitals in a large multicenter health organization during a 55 month…
Joint Commission announces publication of 2020 accreditation, certification manuals
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on October 25 announced publication of the 2020 manual for Disease-Specific Care Certification and four fall updates to the current accreditation manuals. Coming in November are the 2020 accreditation manuals for all programs.
CMS proposes to revise physician anti-kickback rules
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on October 9 announced proposed changes to how it enforces the Physician Self-Referral Law (ie, Stark Law), which penalizes physicians and other healthcare providers for referring patients to outside services they could stand to benefit from financially. The proposed rule…
Joint Commission reviewing CMS final rules on discharge planning, burden reduction
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on October 9 that it is reviewing discharge planning and burden reduction changes announced in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) final rules published September 30. Any changes to Joint Commission accreditation requirements for deemed programs will go through the CMS iterative…
CMS releases final rule on discharge planning
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on September 26 released a final rule that revises discharge planning requirements for hospitals, the September 26 Becker’s Clinical Leadership & Infection Control reports. Among the requirements: Hospitals must prioritize patients’ care goals and treatment preferences during discharge planning. Hospitals…
Legal and ethical questions temper excitement about AI--Part 2
As part of a special series on artificial intelligence (AI), OR Manager is taking a deep dive into the many facets of this new technology and its impact on patient care. In this issue we continue our examination of the challenges related to AI, which began in last month’s issue…
HHS forms group to streamline quality programs
Editor's Note The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on July 9 that it has formed a summit of key industry stakeholders and government leaders to provide insight as the Trump administration seeks to streamline, improve, and align measures used across federal healthcare quality programs. The Quality Summit,…
CMS seeking comments on Patients over Paperwork initiative
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced June 6 that it is seeking new ideas on how to continue the progress of its Patients over Paperwork initiative. The initiative, which was launched in fall of 2017, has already cut the “red tape” that weighs down the…
HHS releases final report on pain management
Editor's Note The Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task force, a Health and Human Services (HHA) federal advisory committee on May 30 released its final report. The report calls for a balanced, individualized, patient-centered approach to pain management and underscores the need to address stigma, risk assessment, access to care,…
ASCs react to 2019 regulatory changes
Each year, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) adapt to numerous federal regulatory policy reforms. As an example, since 2012, when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the Ambulatory Surgery Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program ASCs had been asking for, ASCs have reported data for a changing set of…
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- Study: ERAS protocol reduces opioid use after cardiac surgery
- Study: Prehabilitation reduces surgical complications, speeds recovery
- Commentary: Studies show how surgeon decisions follow the money
- Proposed HIPAA updates would improve cybersecurity, increase costs for healthcare providers
- Study: EMR data can enhance hand hygiene compliance, infection prevention
- Study: Machine learning model improves perioperative pain assessment
- Call for improved suicide risk screening in ASCs aims to strengthen safety protocols
- Study: Perioperative pregabalin reduces risk of kidney decline compared to gabapentin
- Medical school diversity declines after Supreme Court ruling
- Surgeons risk losing ground as transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions rise