Second of a 2-part article. The OR consumes the most expensive and often the highest volume of supplies in the hospital. OR managers want to make sure their chargemasters are up to date so patient bills will accurately reflect services provided. They also want to make sure they are complying…

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There's evidence that using a surgical checklist makes a difference in patient outcomes. A worldwide pilot study at 8 hospitals, published in January, found patient deaths and complications lower after OR teams used the World Health Organization's Surgical Safety Checklist. Yet some OR teams struggle to consistently perform the surgical…

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With a new type of sterilization monitor, the Class 6 emulating indicator, on the market, managers are asking how the new device fits into their sterilization quality assurance programs. Two companies recently had Class 6 indicators cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for sale in the US: Steris Corp…

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You know meticulous instrument care and handling can reduce your GI endoscopy repair costs. But did you know that the organization and design of your GI unit can also affect your daily operations as well as your repair costs? Rethinking the layout of your setting is an opportunity to manage…

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Physician preference savings opportunities Price improvement: 5% to 10% Standardization (fewer companies or brands): 20% to 25% Utilization (changing consumption behavior): 65% to 75% Source: Wellspring Partners. As one of the hospital's biggest revenue and cost centers, ORs are a big target for expense reduction in these tough economic times.…

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The principles of informed consent are well known—patients have the right to make informed decisions about their care, including surgery. The primary purpose of informed consent is to ensure that the patient has the information necessary to make a decision before agreeing to any treatment. The responsibility for informed consent…

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The economy is hitting hospitals hard. For elective surgery, the picture is only starting to emerge. Hospitals' median total margins shrank to near zero in the third quarter of 2008—an unprecedented low, according to a Thomson Reuters analysis of data from 439 hospitals. This was primarily because of a drop…

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Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are about to find themselves more deeply connected with the communities they serve than ever before. Under the latest Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rule setting out conditions for coverage, ASCs must join their hospital colleagues in publishing disaster preparedness plans. The Medicare rule,…

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