The recent issues surrounding scope-related infections continue to gather media attention. A recent article by the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette follows the story of how UPMC in Pittsburgh, PA has managed its endoscope reprocessing since a scope-related outbreak in 2012. In the article, UPMC points to its adoption of additional steps added to its reprocessing guidelines since […]
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In today’s healthcare environment, it’s more important than ever to maximize the revenue your hospital is receiving for each procedure. Hospitals are being squeezed from both ends – declining reimbursements and increasing supply costs for more complex medical devices. Research shows that the average 350-bed hospital is missing $22 million in revenue capture opportunities per
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We’ve all seen it (and maybe even done it ourselves) – thousands of dollars of medical devices tucked away in our desks, filing cabinets, ceilings, wherever we can find a secret space. This isn’t a practice intended to waste hospital dollars, it’s done with the best intention – patient safety. When a patient needs a
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The first trial accusing Olympus Corp. of wrongdoing associated with contaminated duodenoscopes in US hospitals is underway. The case surrounds the death of Richard Bigler, a 57 year-old patient who underwent a scope procedure while battling pancreatic cancer in 2013. It’s alleged that during the procedure, a tainted duodenoscope at Virginia Mason Medical Center passed
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A recent survey conducted by Cardinal Health showed that 24% of hospital staff have seen or heard of an expired product being used on a patient during a procedure (original article here). This comes as no surprise, as we have witnessed the usage of expired inventory at hospitals first-hand. Without the proper processes and vigilance
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All successful endoscopy practices within private practices and hospitals face the same dilemma – how do I track down scopes that have gone missing? With numerous docs, interns, techs and nurses all having access to all the scopes in your facility, it’s a near impossibility to keep track of all of your scopes with 100%
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One of the biggest obstacles to value analysis teams within hospitals is physicians who are reluctant to switch devices or vendors. Physicians often grow attached to certain medical devices, with good reason – they have been proven to work for them and their patients. Often times, showing evidence that a substitute item with similar functionality
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There has been a lot of discussion lately about the number of days a flexible endoscope can safely be in storage before another cleaning is required. Different medical societies like SGNA, ASGE, AORN and APIC have come out with guidance on what the appropriate hang-time limits are. Some hospitals that we’ve talked to have listened
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With the seemingly endless amount of information clinicians are required to enter into medical records software each day, it comes as no surprise that doctors and other hospital staff are looking for short-cuts to reduce their documentation burden. At our customers, we’ve seen copying and pasting of data from templates or other patient records to
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A recent incident in the Philadelphia area reminds us of the dangers that can result from improperly trained staff in the endoscopy area of a hospital. In the incident, an elderly patient undergoing a surgical procedure had an improperly cleaned endoscope used on them during their procedure. The incident occurred at Crozer-Chester Medical Center, outside
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