Eliminating physical distance as a barrier to communication makes it easier for caretakers to help not only their patients, but also one another. This is the promise of virtual care technology, which offers system-wide potential for providers facing growing demand for high-quality, cost-effective care. For perioperative leaders specifically, advantages of…

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There is no shortage of advice, opinions, and proposed solutions when it comes to staff shortages, but the issue continues to plague healthcare systems nonetheless. For a couple of years now, speakers at the OR Business Management Conference and OR Manager Conference have been asking attendees, “Who still struggles to…

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Editor's Note New findings from health consultant Sg2’s 2024 Impact of Change report projects a 21% increase in ambulatory surgery center (ASC) volume, to reach 44 million by 2034, ASC Focus July 8 reports. An aging population, better diagnostics, and epidemiological factors are driving this demand, Tori Richie, senior consulting…

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Editor's Note Need for physical examination, technological limitations, care quality concerns, and malpractice risk topped the list of perceived barriers to employing video visits in surgical care in a study published May 10 in the journal Surgery. This study was reportedly the first to comprehensively survey surgeons on their perception…

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Editor's Note A study from Panda Health, a digital health company, found that virtual nursing has the lowest adoption rate among digital hospital tools and is perceived as having exaggerated value by hospital leaders, according Becker's Health IT December 13. The survey of 100 hospital leaders found that just 13%…

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Editor's Note Major warehouse corporation Costco has entered a partnership with virtual care company Sesame to expand its healthcare offerings to its members, Chief Healthcare Executive September 27 reports. This collaboration will reportedly allow Costco members to access Sesame's telehealth services at “affordable rates.” David Goldhill, Sesame's CEO and a…

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Editor's Note On May 4, ECRI announced that Guthrie Clinic, Sayre, Pennsylvania, is the winner of its 2023 Health Technology Excellence Award. The annual award honors an organization that implements an exceptional initiative to improve patient safety, reduce costs, and facilitate better strategic management of health technology. Guthrie Clinic won…

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Editor's Note This study, led by researchers at the University of California San Diego, La Jolla, finds that an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot assistant can provide responses to patient questions that are of comparable quality and empathy to those of physicians. A total of 195 randomly drawn patients’ medical questions…

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Editor's Note Michigan-based health system, Trinity Health, will roll out virtual nurses at its hospitals in the state, and eventually, at its 88 hospitals across the nation, reports January 13 Becker’s Hospital Review. After a successful pilot project at Trinity Health Oakland, the Virtual Connected Care Program will ideally be…

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Editor's Note This study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, finds that the use of a patient navigator to assist patients in overcoming barriers to telehealth access significantly improves visit attendance with a financial gain. A total of 4,066 patients had telehealth appointments scheduled. Those who had the navigator…

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