Credentialing problems can leave your facility holding the liability bag

Surgeon credentialing is a “big blind spot” for healthcare providers, according to a recently published commentary in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Council Endorses Periop Noise-reduction Resource

The Council on Surgical and Perioperative Safety endorses a safe surgery resource chart to reduce the risk of noise and distraction in the perioperative period.

Defective instrument probe and safety checklist lead to award

Northbank Surgical Center, in Salem, OR, recently was recognized for safety efforts that included investigating an instrument through the FDA's MedWatch program and sharing its findings with other facilities.

Q&A: Wrong-site markings, sloppy timeouts, and RNs only

There always is a lot of reaction to my Q&A articles. These questions were asked in the past month or so related to patient safety, liability, and compliance.

Three apps that could help improve patient safety

Today’s clinicians are using various apps to improve safety and avoid liability.

FDA launches drug shortages mobile app

The Food and Drug Administration has launched the agency’s first mobile application specifically designed to speed public access to valuable information about drug shortages.

Pre-surgery beta blockers, risk of death examined

The controversial practice of administering pre-surgery beta blockers to patients having noncardiac surgery was associated with an increased risk of death in patients with no cardiac risk factors, but it was beneficial for patients with three to four risk factors, according to a report published online by JAMA Surgery.

Study determines best anesthesia option for infants

Infants undergoing some types of surgery could have better recovery if they receive regional anesthesia rather than general anesthesia, according to two studies published in Anesthesiology, the official medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

New videos help providers check injection practices

The CDC continues to investigate outbreaks as a result of unsafe injection practices.

Medical malpractice payout amounts increase

For the second consecutive year, medical malpractice payouts increased more than 4% from the previous year, according to an analysis Diederich Healthcare conducted of the medical malpractice payout data provided by the National Practitioner Data Bank.

Give your facility a leg up on competition: Revamp outdated price estimate processes

Collections increased 19% and were up an additional $3.6 million in 2014 compared to the previous year, and payment plans increased by 27% and were up an additional $2.8 million, after leaders at Novant Health in Winston-Salem, NC, began giving price estimate letters to surgical patients prior to service.

Guidance on role of industry reps in endoscopy unit

The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy has issued a document offering guidance on the role that device, accessory, and pharmaceutical industry representatives play in endoscopy units and how best to achieve optimal interaction between physicians and industry for the benefit of the patient.

July 1, 2015