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 »
As adoption of EMRs at hospitals reaches saturation, hospitals and health systems are now trying to figure out how to make the most of the vast amounts of data being collected by their information systems. Focusing on data analytics in the perioperative setting can drive significant value for a hospital, given the large share of
How Hospitals Can Drive More Value From Data Analytics Read More »
On December 20, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the roll out of the Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), the Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG), and the Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) incentive payment models. With these programs scheduled to go live in July 2017, they will join expanded Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement
Opposition to Medicare Bundles is Growing Read More »
PENTAX Medical recently issued a field correction to customers on a potential risk for contamination on one of its duodenoscope models. PENTAX duodenoscope model ED-3490TK has been declared a risk for patient infection due to an issue with the silicone adhesive used on the distal tip during manufacturing. In some cases, cracks may form in
Pentax Warns on Infection Risks From Some of its Endoscopes Read More »
A seven-month study recently published by the American Journal of Infection Control found that 60% of gastroscopes and colonoscopes examined tested positive for certain bacterial growth. These bacteria were detected even after being disinfected using the current manufacturer guidelines or additional measures. The scopes examined as part of the study were all manufactured by Olympus
New Research Shows Current Scope Cleaning Processes Not Rigorous Enough Read More »
In December 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized regulations regarding the Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) Incentive Payment Model. This new bundled payment program affects over 1,100 hospitals nationwide and how they are paid for their heart attack and bypass surgery cases. The goal of this program, which has joined the orthopedic bundling
How Hospitals Can Prepare For The Coming Wave Of Bundled Payments Read More »
An increasing number of hospitals are turning to outsourced providers of complex claims management to help manage their hardest to collect dollars. The number of complex claims outsourced to specialists reached 39.8% in the 3rd quarter of 2016 – up from 20.4% in 2014. These complex claims typically take up an outsized portion of in-house
Outsourcing of Complex Claims on the Upswing Read More »
A potential superbug linked to contaminated gastroscopes at UPMC in Pittsburgh, PA was discussed in a recent article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (01/03/17). The author, Dr. Lawrence Muscarella, wrote that the infected gastroscopes may have infected up to 6 patients with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP), a deadly superbug. This article by Gordon Gibb of LawyersandSettlements.com
Potential Outbreaks Related To Gastroscopes Revealed Read More »