Editor's Note The US News & World Report has released its 2015-2016 Most Connected Hospitals list. Included are 159 hospitals in 37 states that have made significant strides in implementing technologies to enhance the digital exchange of information. Ohio has the most hospitals on the list at 23, followed by…
Editor's Note An Office of Inspector General (OIG) alert reminds healthcare professionals and hospitals that information blocking in health information technology (IT) is a problem, and steps to prevent interoperability of an electronic health record (EHR) platform or services with other IT systems is not subject to safe harbor protections…
Editor's Note Including a health information exchange query into emergency department patient care could significantly reduce the number of tests ordered and reduce costs, finds this study. Efficient health information exchange was associated with a 52% reduction in lab tests and a 36% reduction in radiology exams per patient ordered…
Analytics is a buzzword in today’s healthcare world, but behind the buzz is a very real tool. If used appropriately, analytics can help OR managers achieve improvements in stubborn problems such as turnover time. But OR leaders must first understand analytics principles before applying them in their management practice. Analytics…
Most OR leaders use performance reports to inform and guide critical decisions. The problem is that in most hospitals, the data used to create these reports are not reliable. Why? Even the smallest surgery department is too complex for the most sophisticated OR data solution. To yield reliable reports, information…
Preparing patients for surgery at Cullman Regional Medical Center in Cullman, Alabama, used to take about 200 phone calls a day. Here’s a typical scenario: The OR is ready for the next patient. The OR calls the same-day surgery unit and asks if the patient is ready. Same-day surgery says…
Anesthesia information management systems (AIMS) have been slow to catch on, but the pace is accelerating. More than one-fourth (26%) of organizations with OR information systems now have an AIMS, up from 6% in 2007. And 63% of those that currently have only an OR system plan to purchase an…
The federal government is providing $19 billion in grants and loans for health information technology (IT). Will ORs be able to capture some of the funding to improve their systems? The funding comes under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed by President Obama in February 2009. Financial incentives will…
With a swipe of a barcode, a perioperative nurse documents supply use in the patient's record, helps create an accurate patient bill, and starts the process to reorder the product. Kaleida Health, a 5-hospital network serving western New York State, has pulled off what many organizations strive for, an integrated…
Selecting the right software for your perioperative services department is one of the most important decisions a manager makes. The software used to manage perioperative services is critical because the OR drives the hospital's inpatient capacity as well as the revenue and margin. The software must enable the OR manager…