Editor's Note Chicacgo-area hospitals are using apps to help patients prepare for and recover from surgery and communicate their symptoms, the November 30 Chicago Tribune reports. Amita Health is now using the TapCloud app with good results−of 309 orthopedic patients who have used the app, none have had to be…

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Editor's Note Patients who have a laparoscopic appendectomy can go home the same day of surgery with similar outcomes to patients who spent a night in the hospital, this study finds. In this analysis of 12,703 patients, those who were discharged the same day of surgery had an overall readmission…

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This issue of OR Manager will be published around Thanksgiving, and we hope it won’t be overlooked in the wake of holiday preparations. Important information such as the upcoming Joint Commission survey changes, for example, should not be missed (cover story). Surveys were discussed during the 2016 OR Manager Conference.…

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Comprehensive surgical patient care models are associated with better outcomes, according to studies presented at Anesthesiology 2016 in October. In a study of 1,356 patients undergoing total knee, hip, or shoulder joint replacement surgery, pain management and communication between patients and physicians improved when care was based on the perioperative…

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Editor's Note On-pump and off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) are equally safe and effective, this study finds. At 5 years there was no significant difference between on-pump and off-pump CABG in combined rates of death, stroke, myocardial infarction, renal failure, or subsequent revascularization procedures (23.6% vs 23.1%). There also…

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Editor's Note Total knee patients in enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs have less pain and recuperate faster, finds this study presented October 23 at the Anesthesiology 2016 annual meeting. The study, from Rush University Medical Center (Chicago), included 243 total knee patients, who were provided a combination of postoperative…

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Editor's Note Implementing the Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) model resulted in improved patient outcomes, patient satisfaction, and shorter hospital stays in this study presented October 22 at the Anesthesiology 2016 annual meeting. The study included 1,356 patients who had total knee, hip, or shoulder replacements. Half received care under the…

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Patient satisfaction scores are more important than ever in light of value-based care and their influence on Medicare reimbursement. Employing top-notch surgeons, improving teamwork and communication, and minimizing case delays are some ways to help boost HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey scores. But healthcare providers…

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Is it possible to adequately capture the experience of patients undergoing anesthesia when their awareness and perceptions are typically altered by their very experience? A 5-year study of anesthesia patient satisfaction suggests that not only is it possible, but the results are meaningful in providing anesthesia-specific validation and in identifying…

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Editor's Note In older adults with unstable ankle fractures, close contact casting compared with surgery resulted in similar functional outcomes at 6 months, this study finds. The study, which included 620 patients (309 surgery, 311 casting) from 24 hospitals, found that postfracture symptoms, quality of life, pain, ankle motion, and…

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