New Research Shows Current Scope Cleaning Processes Not Rigorous Enough

August 30, 2017 / Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

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 […]

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How Hospitals Can Prepare For The Coming Wave Of Bundled Payments

August 30, 2017 / Cath Lab, Hospital Finance, Hospital Management, Operating Rooms, The Business of Surgery /

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

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Outsourcing of Complex Claims on the Upswing

August 30, 2017 / Cost Reduction, Hospital Finance, Revenue Cycle, The Business of Surgery /

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

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Potential Outbreaks Related To Gastroscopes Revealed

August 30, 2017 / Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety /

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

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How One Hospital Uses Advanced Analytics to Drive Savings and Improve Outcomes

August 30, 2017 / Big Data, Cath Lab, Cost Reduction, Hospital Finance, Hospital IT, Hospital Management, Operating Rooms, Radiology, The Business of Surgery /

Geisinger Health System, a leading health system in Eastern Pennsylvania, has begun realizing tremendous benefits from a data analytics program established in 2015. The hospital’s Unified Data Architecture (UDA) collects and stores data from electronic medical records and other data sources to provide a holistic view of a patient’s health. Benefits of the UDA so

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Some Fuji Duodenoscopes Pulled From Market

August 30, 2017 / Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety /

FujiFilm Medical Systems, USA Endoscopy Division (“FMSU-ESD”) declared this week that it is removing some of its older model duodenoscopes from the market. According to FujiFilm, the ED-250XL5, ED-250XT5, ED-450XL5, and ED-450XT5 model duodenoscopes are the models that are being recalled. Per a press release from FujiFilm, which can be found here: “These devices are

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OIG Audit of Abbott Northwestern Hospital Turns Up $8 Million in Medicare Overpayments

August 30, 2017 / Hospital Finance, Hospital Management, Regulatory Compliance, Revenue Cycle, The Business of Surgery /

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently released the report of its findings from an audit conducted at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, MN.  Based on a review of 162 claims from 2013 and 2014, the OIG found a potential of $933,991 in over payments.  Extrapolated over the 2-year

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Endoscope Market Showing No Signs of Slowing Down

August 30, 2017 / Managing Endoscopes /

Technavio, a technology research and advisory company, has released a five-year forecast for the global gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy devices market. Their research shows an expected cumulative average growth rate of nearly 6% from 2016-2020. This large and growing market is expected to reach a total size of $5 billion by 2020. The global move towards

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How Physician Feedback Can Save Millions In Your OR

August 30, 2017 / Big Data, Cost Reduction, Hospital Finance, Hospital Management, Operating Rooms, Operational Efficiency, The Business of Surgery /

Putting surgeons in the know regarding their OR spend can help hospitals reduce costs drastically. This is the main finding from a study published in JAMA Surgery by a study team at the University of California, San Francisco. A test group of surgeons who received monthly feedback on their OR costs reduced their spend by

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How Operating Rooms Are Throwing Millions of Dollars Away Each Year

August 30, 2017 / Cost Reduction, Hospital Finance, Hospital Management, Operating Rooms, Supply Chain, The Business of Surgery /

Disposable medical supplies are responsible for over 2,000 tons of physical waste per day, and they are making a huge impact on OR profits. A recent study by University of California, San Francisco noted that an average of nearly $1,000 of disposable medical supplies per procedure were wasted in their neurosurgical department. This equated to

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