OR business leaders anticipate growth and opportunities in 2020
Planning for volume growth and adopting best business practices for the perioperative environment were overarching themes at the 2020 OR Business Management Conference (ORBMC) in late January. Leading healthcare industry clinicians and experts offered fresh insights into competing in the burgeoning outpatient surgery market and persuading stakeholders to switch to…
Don't fall victim to data breaches in your OR
Data breaches in the healthcare setting are on the rise, according to recent federal statistics. In November 2019, the US Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Civil Rights reported that 29 data breaches affecting 570,565 patients took place, a notable rise from the more than 311,000 people…
Competition engages staff in cost savings and standardization
More than half of respondents to a recent OR Manager reader survey put cost-saving initiatives at the top of their list of important topics, and cost reduction is an ongoing challenge for many OR managers. Leaders at Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVH), based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, took a creative approach…
Survey: Healthcare execs ramping up AI implementation efforts
Editor's Note A survey of 500 US healthcare industry leaders conducted by Optum finds that executives are ramping up their implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) efforts, with 62% saying they have adopted AI strategies in their organizations, the March 11 HealthIT Analytics reports. This is a nearly 88% increase from…
Social media use by nurses
Editor's Note Social media use among nurses is common, but social media perceptions and practices vary considerably, this study finds. In this survey of 397 nurses in a large academic medical center, 87% reported using a social media account currently. Increasing age was linked to decreasing frequency of social media…
FDA: Class I recall of Alaris Infusion Pump System and Modules
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 6 identified the recall by Becton Dickinson (BD)/CareFusion 303 of its Alaris System Infusion Pumps and Modules as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of multiple system errors, software errors, and use-related errors. The errors can…
Humana using AI to streamline services
Editor's Note Humana is using artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic processes to help frontline healthcare personnel with daily tasks and to streamline access to patient care, the March 2 Forbes reports. It is testing how to pull information from medical records based on identifying key words in conversations between healthcare…
FDA: Class I recall of King Systems’ video laryngoscope adapter
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on February 27 identified the recall by King Systems of its King Vision Video Laryngoscope Adapter (size ½) as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because all devices from the affected lots show a reversed image on the display,…
Nuts and bolts of new technology acquisition--Part 2
Technology acquisitions require OR leaders to weigh the competing demands of stakeholders—including physicians, nursing staff, the finance department, and patients—and to make sure they address those demands when justifying a new purchase. “New technology can be what’s needed to keep competitive in the current environment,” says Beth Bozzelli, MBA, RN,…
Using smartphones to capture patient differences in postop physical recovery
Editor's Note Metrics derived from smartphone accelerometer data can capture differences in postoperative physical recovery in surgical patients, this study finds. In this analysis of 62 patients, smartphone accelerometer data showed decreases in daily exertional activity in 17 who experienced a postoperative event (eg, complication, reoperation) up to 6 weeks…
Free Daily News
- Study links financial conflicts of interest to favorable robotic bariatric surgery research
- Hospitals double down on ambulatory care expansion with major investments
- Study: Post-laparotomy incisional negative pressure wound therapy fails to reduce infection risk
- FDA announces multiple Class 1 recalls
- 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