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Orthopedic service line takes health system to another level

Total joint replacements have grown rapidly in recent years, thanks to an aging population and advances in surgical techniques and pain management. As a result, many healthcare facilities have added joint and spine procedures to their service lines. Others would like to know how to do this. What’s involved in…

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By: OR Manager
April 20, 2016
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Emotional intelligence: A mark of superior OR leadership

Emotional intelligence is a phrase bandied about in the literature and lay press, but what exactly is it and why should OR leaders care about it? Emotional intelligence (EI) is linked to higher levels of patient, staff, and physician satisfaction as well as patient safety. As such, it’s an important…

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By: OR Manager
April 20, 2016
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Editorial

Healthcare, business, and political leaders convened at the World Healthcare Congress in Washington, DC, in April to discuss payment, regulatory reforms, new technology, and evolving models of patient care. During the Nurse Leadership Summit portion of the conference, a session on population health management was noteworthy. Panel members discussed transitional…

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By: OR Manager
April 20, 2016
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Value-based payment raises quality stakes in patient care

Although many healthcare providers are still struggling to implement a value-based payment (VBP) model, everyone knows that the train has left the station and adjustments must be made. Shifting to a VBP system, expanding surgical patient care to “population health,” and developing a new generation of perioperative nurses are among…

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By: OR Manager
April 20, 2016
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Tool assesses SSI risk in spine patients

A new tool that assesses postoperative surgical site infection (SSI) risk in spine patients shows promise for improved patient care. Research on the tool, developed by a nurse, is still ongoing, but early results suggest the tool could help clinicians develop strategies to prevent many SSIs. Postoperative SSI rates for…

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By: yshamis
April 20, 2016
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Culture change: The best defense against communication failures

Although most OR clinicians would agree poor team communication puts patients at risk, misunderstandings are not uncommon in the perioperative setting. Understanding how communication failures occur and how to correct course takes time and effort, but using the right tools and educating staff can ultimately make patients safer. “The biggest…

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By: OR Manager
April 20, 2016
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Be cognizant, not complacent when using communication tools

Communication tools such as briefings, debriefings, handoffs, and checklists are considered cornerstones of surgical patient safety, but they’re only effective when used correctly. In many ORs, steps may be skipped that later are linked to adverse events that should not have happened. Greater mindfulness and proper implementation of communication tools…

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By: OR Manager
April 20, 2016
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Surgical development teams save millions in clinical costs

Surgeon champions can make or break a perioperative initiative. But it’s not enough to simply identify a single champion. OR leaders must engage a wide range of physicians to improve the organizational structure of the healthcare system. At Intermountain Healthcare, a 22-hospital system based in Salt Lake City, Utah, surgical…

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By: OR Manager
April 20, 2016
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Research shines new light on malignant hyperthermia

The rare but very serious condition of malignant hyperthermia (MH) remains a risk at all surgical facilities, including ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs). MH occurs in about one in 50,000 adults under anesthesia, and one in about 12,000 children, which translates to one or two deaths annually in the United States.…

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By: OR Manager
April 20, 2016
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