Editor's Note In this study, music therapy was found to decrease pain in patients recovering from spine surgery, compared to a control group who received standard care. Visual analog scale (VAS) pain levels before and after music therapy decreased by more than one point, from 6.20 to 5.09, while VAS…

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Editor's Note Total hip replacement patients experience meaningful and lasting improvement in quality of life (QOL) through at least 5-years after the procedure, this study finds. The analysis included 188 total hip replacement patients at seven hospitals who were evaluated with a standard quality-of-life assessment, called the “Short Form 36,”…

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Editor's Note Differences in perception of hospital care exist between men and women after total hip replacement (THR), finds this study presented March 14 at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in San Diego. Using patient satisfaction data from Press Ganey, researchers found that staff…

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Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia, South Carolina, has had an annual average 3% growth in surgical volume since 2011 and is planning to add six ORs over the next 3 years. That’s a good position to be in. However, the ability of the organization to support continued surgical growth…

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Cancellation of surgical cases, especially prescheduled elective surgeries, is a pervasive problem that reduces OR utilization and hospital revenue. The estimated direct and indirect annual cost of such cancellations across the US is approximately $39 billion per year, with an average OR cost between $20 and $65 per minute. Facilities…

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Editor's Note Patients whose surgeons had large numbers of patient complaints about rude and disrespectful behavior had a significantly increased risk of postoperative complications and being readmitted, this study finds. Of 32,125 patients included in the study, 3,501 (11%) had a postoperative complication (5.5% surgical, 7.5% medical). The adjusted rate…

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Editor's Note Implementation of Lean system redesigns was associated with a significant and sustained wait list reduction from 33.4 days to 12.0 days for patients waiting for elective general surgery procedures at a Veterans Affairs medical center, this study finds. The study covered FY 2012 to 2014. At the same…

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Like a football team gathering to confirm tactical details before a play, surgical staff often form a huddle to ensure readiness of the providers, patient, and equipment for the upcoming procedure. In a twist on the traditional huddle the day before surgery, staff at the Hospital of Central Connecticut (HOCC)…

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Editor's Note In this multi-state study examining the relationship between nurse-reported safety culture and the patient experience, researchers found that modifiable aspects of a hospital’s culture can influence the achievement of high HCAHPS scores in nursing and global domains, which directly impact hospital reimbursement. Three safety culture domains were related…

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Editor's Note Engaging colon cancer patients in a prehabilitation program 4 weeks before surgery modified exercise behaviors and improved physical function, which improved postoperative outcomes, finds this study. Researchers randomized 116 patients to either a prehabilitation program (57 patients) or a control group (59 patients). After 4 weeks, compared with…

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