OR utilization improves with data gleaned from software program
One of the biggest challenges for OR managers is efficient use of OR blocks. OR managers struggle to balance revenue and utilization targets with surgeon and staff preferences. The result is underutilized OR time, unnecessary costs, and dissatisfied staff. “Let’s face it, our block allocation process isn’t very efficient,” says…
Joint Commission seeking eCQM success stories
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced April 19 that it is seeking hospital success stories about electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) capture and submission to share with other accredited hospitals via the new 2017 Pioneers in Quality: Proven Practices Collection. Hospitals whose submissions are selected also will be recognized as…
Study: Physicians now spend half their time on computer tasks
Editor's Note Over time, electronic health records (EHRs) show a decline in face-to-face patient assessments by physicians and an increase in computer tasks, this study finds. Physicians now spend 50% of their time with patients and 50% of their time on computers. The analysis included 471 physicians who worked on…
New toolkit on safe use of IT for patient identification released
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on March 22 announced the release of a free resource for patient identification using health information technology (IT) from the Partnership for Health IT Patient Safety. The toolkit details eight safe practice recommendations in two areas: Attributes−addresses information-gathering aspects of patient identification, such as fields…
ECRI Institute releases top 10 patient safety concerns
Editor's Note The ECRI Institute on March 13 released its 2017 Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns for Healthcare Organizations. This year’s list includes: Information management in electronic health records Unrecognized patient deterioration Implementation and use of clinical decision support Test result reporting and follow-up Antimicrobial stewardship Patient identification Opioid administration…
Partnership for Health IT Patient Safety issues new recommendations
Editor's Note The Partnership for Health IT Patient Safety, a multi-stakeholder collaborative convened and operated by ECRI Institute, has issued new safe practice recommendations for the use of health IT in improving the accuracy of patient identification. Mistaken identifications can lead to wrong patient care, improper care, or no care…
Joint Commission prohibits secure texting of patient orders
Editor's Note The Joint Commission in December banned the use of secure text messaging to transmit patient orders, the January 9 Becker’s Infection Control & Clinical Quality reports. The Joint Commission collaborated with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to make the following recommendations: Healthcare facilities are prohibited…
CMS publishes final rule for MU reporting
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on November 1 published a final rule that will allow providers in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) incentive program who previously demonstrated meaningful use (MU) to report to any continuous 90-day reporting period in 2016 and 2017 rather than a…
GAO calls for better alignment of quality measures
Editor's Note In an October 13 report, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) called for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to set priorities in its effort to better align healthcare quality measures across payers and programs, and to make them truly meaningful, according to the October 14 FierceHealthcare.…
Denver Health to expand text messaging program
Editor's Note Denver Health was awarded a nearly $232,000 federal grant to expand its text messaging program, the October 13 Denver Post reports. The system will use the grant to link text messages directly to patients’ electronic health records so physicians can see patients’ texts on their medical charts. Denver…
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