Uncategorized Editor's Note Awake video assisted thoracic surgery (AVATS) performed with local anesthesia and sedation allows for resection of lung cancers previously deemed inoperable because of a patient’s poor pulmonary function, finds this study presented May 23 at the American Thoracic Society International Conference in San Diego. For the study, 246…
Editor's Note The ECRI Institute on May 17 announced that Boston Medical Center had won the 2018 Health Devices Achievement Award for its patient-centric mobile pulmonary care app. The ICOUGH Recovery app guides patients through the hospitals postoperative pulmonary care protocol, which focuses on: Incentive spirometry Coughing and deep breathing…
Editor's Note This study found no cost benefit to maintaining a fully stocked malignant hyperthermia (MH) cart with a full supply of dantrolene in maternity units, where triggering agents are rarely used. Maintaining an MH cart in every maternity unit in the US would reduce morbidity and mortality costs by…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on May 16 announced that approximately 25% of applicable elements of performance (EPs) in its ambulatory care program will no longer apply to organizations that primarily provide surgical and nonsurgical services via a telehealth platform. Among the reductions: 12 EPs in the Environment of Care…
Editor's Note Patients having outpatient surgery in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) versus hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) are less likely to be admitted to a hospital or visit an emergency department a short time after surgery, this study finds. The study is the first to provide causal evidence on ASC quality,…
Editor's Note US hospitals added 8,000 jobs in April to a seasonally adjusted 5,159,800, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on May 4. That is 94,500 more employees than a year ago. The overall unemployment rate fell by 0.2% in April to 3.9%, the lowest rate since December 2000.
Editor's Note Inadequate functional health literacy (FHL) in ambulatory surgery patients was associated with poorer postoperative recovery and a lower quality of life in this study. Of 704 patients undergoing ambulatory surgery who were surveyed, 427 (60.7%) reported sufficient FHL, 223 (31.7%) said problematic FHL, and 54 (7.7%) had inadequate…
Editor's Note The first look at possible new ICD-10 codes is expected in early May, and anxiety is building, according to the April 24 ICD10monitor. The comment period has passed for providing feedback on the ICD-10-PCS (inpatient procedure coding) codes, and comments for the ICD-10-CM (diagnosis coding) proposals are not…
Editor's Note NewYork-Presbyterian on April 24 announced the opening of the David H. Koch Center, a world-class ambulatory care center that provides a seamless patient experience from diagnosis to treatment. The approximately 749,000 square foot facility includes services such as outpatient surgery, interventional radiology, diagnostic imaging, and infusion services as…
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on April 24 issued its hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) proposed rule for FY 2019. The proposed rule increases rates by 1.75%, which reflects the projected market-basket update of 2.8% for hospitals that were meaningful users of electronic health…
