Recent studies have shown a strong link between sharing pricing data with physicians and a resulting drop in case costs. The latest study to show this link was recently published in March 2017 in JAMA. According to JAMA, the OR Surgical Cost Reduction (OR SCORE) project was conducted in a single health system with multiple […]
Using Surgeon Scorecards To Drive Down Costs In the OR Read More »
Many eyebrows were raised following 2016’s recall of duodenoscope model TJF-Q180V by Olympus. The voluntary recall was intended to replace the problematic elevator channel sealing mechanisms in the 4,400 Olympus duodenoscopes that were issued prior to 510k clearance for the device. Olympus planned to complete the recall by August 2016 and also planned to conduct
Are Duodenoscopes Safe To Use? Read More »
ECRI Institute’s annual list of patient safety concerns has been released. One concern missing from the list that has been a staple for several years is the infection risk associated with inadequate cleaning of flexible endoscopes. With the number of incidences being reported by hospitals and the associated changes to scopes being issued by the
ECRI List of 2017 Patient Safety Concerns Includes Inadequate Safety and Quality Systems Read More »
Many US hospitals are now reaching the end of their electronic health records roll-outs. Companies such as Epic and Cerner have reaped large windfalls from these implementations at most hospitals across the country. While the software companies have benefited greatly from the implementations, many hospitals are left scratching their heads about how best to take
How to Get More Value Out of Your EHR Implementation Read More »
The editorial team at the Becker’s Infection Control & Clinical Quality website unveiled its top 10 patient safety issues for 2017. Their list was based on study findings and trends over the last year. Sterilization and reprocessing issues represented one of the issues on the list. It’s no surprise to anyone in the industry that
List of Top 10 Patient Safety Issues For 2017 Includes Scope Reprocessing Read More »
Recently, Global Healthcare Exchange (GHX) released its top priorities for healthcare supply chains in 2017. The priorities were the result of a survey of 50 leading supply chain provider organizations. At the top of the list was predictive analytics, with improved price accuracy between supplier and provider partners and standardized business processes/data across the organization
Survey Reveals Top Priorities for Healthcare Supply Chain Leaders Read More »
As the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announce the expanded rollout of the bundled payment programs, including the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) program, medical device makers are seeing an opportunity to expand their relationships with hospitals. Johnson & Johnson, for example, recently announced its CareAdvantage program that aims to partner with
Medical Device Makers to Partner With Hospitals to Achieve Triple Aim Read More »
During a recent weekend shift, over $1 million worth of flexible endoscopes and accessories were stolen from a major hospital in Canada. 3 thieves were suspected of walking out of Toronto Western Hospital with the equipment in broad daylight. As this article from InsideToronto.com explains: “According to Toronto police, three men went to the fourth
Endoscopes Stolen From Hospital Read More »
More hospitals are using the Triple Aim framework as a systematic approach to thinking about value. The Triple Aim framework from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement is designed to help hospitals optimize performance by focusing on three dimensions: Population Health, Experience of Care and Per Capita Cost. As hospitals dig deeper into the framework, they
Data and the Healthcare Triple Aim Read More »
The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and its 510(k) Clearance program may have played a role in preventing potentially dangerous endoscopes from being adequately tested before being released to the market. Because endoscopes are highly regulated medical devices, the FDA’s approval processes should be able to catch any critical health risks posed by their use. However,
How the FDA May Have Enabled the Recent Epidemic of Endoscope Related Infections Read More »