Patient Safety

How To Create An All-Electronic Audit Trail For Your Scopes

Clinical Documentation, Hospital Management, Infection Control, Joint Commission, Managing Endoscopes, Operational Efficiency, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

Flexible endoscopes present a unique challenge for hospitals to track and manage – these expensive medical instruments must be quickly re-processed after usage in order to provide the required instrumentation for the next procedure, yet they must undergo rigorous, time-consuming reprocessing after every use to ensure the highest levels of patient safety. Due to different […]

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The Difference Between Passing a Joint Commission Survey and Continuous Improvement

Hospital Management, Infection Control, Joint Commission, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance, Tissue Management /

With the recent scrutiny placed on the Joint Commission (TJC) in publications like the Wall Street Journal, TJC has found itself on the defensive regarding its accreditations and how it holds hospitals accountable for safety violations. In response, TJC has been trying to open up a dialogue with the public about the importance of its

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Medicare To Consider Tracking Unique IDs For Medical Implants

Cath Lab, Clinical Documentation, Hospital Management, Operating Rooms, Patient Safety, Radiology, Supply Chain, The Business of Surgery, Tissue Management /

As discussed in a recent article, recalled medical devices continue to be a patient safety and financial concern for hospitals and insurers. A recent study by Medicare estimated that over a 10 year span, they spent over $1.5 billion on surgeries and follow-up for over 73,000 patients implanted with one of seven defective heart devices. 

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ECRI Top Health Technology Hazards List Once Again Includes Endoscope Reprocessing

Hospital Management, Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety /

The ECRI Institute, based in Philadelphia, has just released its annual list of health technology hazards for 2018.  Unsurprisingly, endoscope reprocessing once again appears near the top of the list, coming in as the number 2 hazard for 2018. ECRI’s list is the result of extensive research by its own engineers, scientists and clinicians, as

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How Michigan Medicine Tracks Tissue To Meet Joint Commission Standards and Reduce Costs

Clinical Documentation, Cost Reduction, Hospital Finance, Hospital Management, Infection Control, Joint Commission, Operating Rooms, Operational Efficiency, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance, Supply Chain, The Business of Surgery, Tissue Management /

University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers (U-M) in Ann Arbor, Michigan is one of the nation’s top medical centers, and was recently named the #6 hospital in the United States according to the 2016-17 Best Hospitals Honor Roll rankings by US News and World Report.  As the main medical campus of the Michigan Medicine

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Is Your Endoscope Reprocessing Area Set Up For Success?

Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

Many hospitals continue to underestimate the importance of a successful endoscope reprocessing practice. Several hospitals and medical facilities that we’ve visited invest too little in facilities and staff to prepare their endoscopes after usage in procedures.  However, if a hospital is unable to successfully ensure the cleanliness of these vital reusable instruments, they could be

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Why Tracking Down Patients With Recalled Implants Is Hard Even With Unique IDs

Cath Lab, Clinical Documentation, Hospital Management, Operating Rooms, Patient Safety, Radiology, Supply Chain, The Business of Surgery, Tissue Management /

Recalled medical devices continue to be a patient safety and financial concern for hospitals and insurers. A recent study by Medicare estimated that over a 10 year span, they spent over $1.5 billion on surgeries and follow-up for over 73,000 patients implanted with one of seven defective heart devices.  With such a staggering sum spent

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The Importance of Visual Inspection for Endoscope Reprocessing

Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

Visual inspection has emerged in recent years as an important quality assurance step during endoscope reprocessing. Updated guidelines from AAMI, AORN and SGNA have all included a visual inspection step during the disinfection process to ensure that scopes are being thoroughly prepared for the next patient. All three standards organizations have come out in support

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New Research On Endoscope Disinfection Reveals Importance of Forced Air Drying

Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

A new study into the cleanliness of endoscopes following high level disinfection has revealed some important findings.  The research team, headed by Dr. Adarsh Thaker at UCLA, used specialized digital video cameras to perform visual inspection on 59 duodenoscopes, gastroscopes, echoendoscopes and colonoscopes after manual cleaning and high level disinfection. Each visual inspection included a

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Establishing a Successful Scope Management Strategy

Hospital Management, Infection Control, Joint Commission, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

Hospitals and healthcare providers are under increased scrutiny by The Joint Commission (TJC), the FDA, DNV and even Congress to improve the documentation practices around flexible endoscope usage. There are articles in the media seemingly every day about how an endoscope manufacturer or a hospital was cited, sued or otherwise put in a negative light

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