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Cost data comparisons help sway surgeons to standardize supplies

As payment models move from fee-for-service to value-based care, hospitals and healthcare systems are trying to reduce spending by 20% to 30% to maintain their budgets. Supply costs are usually the second largest expense after labor, and industry analysts predict they will take the top slot by 2020. In 2013,…

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By: OR Manager
June 16, 2015
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Hospital accreditation options expand beyond Joint Commission

In the past, most hospitals automatically sought accreditation from the Joint Commission, but recent years have brought new players to the field, prompting hospital administrators to rethink that strategy. One relatively new player is DNV GL-Healthcare (DNV GL). Since achieving deeming authority from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services…

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By: OR Manager
June 16, 2015
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Editorial

Five years have passed since the Institute of Medicine recommended changes in nursing education and practice. Soon after the IOM issued its report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) partnered with AARP to launch the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action to…

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By: OR Manager
June 16, 2015
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Using more robust data leads to better outcomes

Many perioperative services leaders still struggle to get meaningful data on what influences the success or failure of a surgical patient. One resource that’s readily available and has a proven track record is the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP). “NSQIP has shown that the…

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By: OR Manager
June 16, 2015
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Structured OR educational programs shorten orientation period

Successful hiring for the OR depends on ensuring nurses have the right education and clinical skills as well as the right attitude: Are they are willing and able to be team players? OR nurse leaders at Saint Luke’s Health System (SLHS), Kansas City, Missouri, have been revamping their intern and…

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By: OR Manager
June 16, 2015
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SCOREing patient safety with a proactive approach

Avoiding preventable harm in the OR is the goal of any surgical services department, and meeting that goal requires excellent communication and collaboration among staff members. At Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, the Safe Care in the OR Everytime (SCORE) project has raised awareness about safety and engaged front-line…

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By: OR Manager
June 16, 2015
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Checklists help staff keep cool in the heat of an OR crisis

An emergency situation in the OR can rattle even the most experienced surgeons, anesthesiologists, and staff. To help reduce anxiety and prompt a more effective response to emergencies, clinicians increasingly are turning to cognitive aids. These cognitive aids, routinely used for years in aviation and other high-hazard industries, are an…

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By: OR Manager
June 16, 2015
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AAAHC issues guidelines for obese patients

Screening heavier patients for ambulatory surgery just became a little easier, thanks to a new brochure from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) Institute for Quality Improvement, Skokie, Illinois. Titled “Ambulatory surgery and obesity in adults: Preventing complications,” the two-page toolkit draws on some 40 research articles outlining…

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By: OR Manager
June 16, 2015
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