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Ambulatory Safety Monitor

This e-mail newsletter reports news regarding occupational and patient safety for surgical centers and doctor´s offices, as well as offers tips and advice on billing, staffing, and procurement procedures.

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Ambulatory Safety Monitor

Issue 51, December 29, 2005

• JCAHO establishes group to boost physician participation in accreditation proces

  The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has established a new...

• One way to start your own referral program

  Staff at the Russell Student Health Center at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa were having...

• Orthopaedic surgeons offer suggestions for winter safety

  The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has posted a series of articles to help people...

Issue 50, December 22, 2005

• New survey finds U.S. leading in medical errors

  One-third of patients with health problems in the United States report experiencing medical...

• Refine your preoperative assessments on patients

  Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) surveyors visited North Country...

• Study: Long hours, drinking have similar effects on physicians

  A new study claims physicians on heavy call perform at the same level of those who serve light call...

Issue 49, December 15, 2005

• AAAHC releases revisions to 2006 accreditation standards

  The Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) has issued revisions to its...

• For a new ambulatory facility, when is the best time to go through accreditation

  Speakers during the accreditation forum at the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial...

• AAOMS offers patient information pamphlets for oral and maxillofacial surgery

  The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons has posted 12 free patient information...

Issue 48, December 9, 2005

• Achieving successful medication reconciliation

  Medication reconciliation-one of the JCAHO’s National Patient Safety Goals for 2005...

• JCAHO releases draft 2007 National Patient Safety Goals for ambulatory surgery

  Worker fatigue, disruptive behavior, and orientation for temporary workers are among the five new...

Issue 47, December 1, 2005

• High blood pressure could increase likelihood of blood clot

  According to a new report published in the December issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery...

Issue 46, November 17, 2005

• Add a sense of reality to your organization’s disaster drills

  Healthcare providers at the Center for Advanced Eye Surgery in Poland, OH, sat down for a regularly...

• FDA requires digital drug labeling

  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now requiring drug makers to submit electronic...

Issue 45, November 10, 2005

• Rethink quality control processes

  When Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) standard PC.16.50 took...

• Accreditation associations agree on definition of adverse medical event in OBS

  Three national accrediting associations have agreed upon a definition of "reportable adverse events...

Issue 44, November 3, 2005

• Find a job description model that works for your organization

  Writing job descriptions in the ambulatory field can present challenges. Healthcare providers take...

• Oral sodium phosphate use for colonoscopies may harm kidneys

  Investigators have found that use of an oral sodium phosphate solution (OSPS) for bowel cleansing...

Issue 43, October 27, 2005

• Survey provides validation of a job well done

  Every Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) survey experience is different...

• New standards adopted for preventing patients from awakening during surgery

  The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) have approved their first-ever standards to assist...

Issue 41, October 13, 2005

• Simple programs can help you reduce the risk of patient falls

  Patient falls first landed on the JCAHO’s National Patient Safety Goals list for hospitals...

• Label all medications in procedural areas

  In 2006, ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) with JCAHO certification will need to comply with...

• New study indicates obesity surgery deadlier than initially thought

  A new study of over 16,000 Medicare patients indicates that patients undergoing obesity surgery...

• FDA cautions use of metallic tracheal stents

  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is cautioning healthcare professionals against the use of...

Issue 40, October 6, 2005

• Benchmark your facility’s anesthesia practices

  The results of the AAAHC Institute for Quality Improvement’s (AAAHC Institute) fifth Knee...

• Study dismisses breast cancer reoccurrence concerns with breast implants

  A new study indicates there is no significant difference in breast cancer reoccurrence between...

Issue 39, September 29, 2005

• Label all medications in procedural areas

  In 2006, ambulatory surgery centers with Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare...

• AAAASF emphasizes need for weekly spore testing

  The American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF), reacting to...

Issue 38, September 22, 2005

• New management team does well in its AAAHC survey

  The new administrator and nurse managers at Surgicare of South Austin in Texas had never been...

• AAAHC releases proposed revisions to accreditation standards

  The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) recently issued recommendations...

Issue 37, September 15, 2005

• Ensure that drills match your center’s environment

  The AAAHC standards committee made an addition to the footnote on standard 8.B.2.c regarding...

• New Medicare demonstration aims to improve healthcare quality

  In its efforts to improve healthcare systems, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS...

Issue 36, September 8, 2005

• Get patients involved in medication reconciliation for goal compliance

  The JCAHO’s National Patient Safety Goal Eight requires organizations to accurately and...

• Get patients involved in medication reconciliation for goal compliance

  The JCAHO’s National Patient Safety Goal Eight requires organizations to accurately and...

• Get patients involved in medication reconciliation for goal compliance

  The JCAHO’s National Patient Safety Goal Eight requires organizations to accurately and...

• Get patients involved in medication reconciliation for goal compliance

  The JCAHO’s National Patient Safety Goal Eight requires organizations to accurately and...

• Get patients involved in medication reconciliation for goal compliance

  The JCAHO’s National Patient Safety Goal Eight requires organizations to accurately and...

Issue 35, September 1, 2005

• Advice for your pediatric anesthesia policy

  Your pediatric patients need special considerations regarding their anesthesia. During the...

• Doctor suggests overhaul for implant risk notification system

  Following the latest implant recalls, such as the June recall of 109,000 of Guidant Corporation's...

Issue 34, August 25, 2005

• JCAHO announces 2006 Patient Safety Goals for all settings

  Ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) have two new National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) requirements to...

• Reducing medical errors becomes a global goal

  The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it has chosen the Joint Commission on...

Issue 33, August 19, 2005

• Elder affairs: Improve geriatric care

  Advances in healthcare allow most people longer lives, and that longevity is starting to catch up...

• Investigators of care quality criticized for possible bias, lack of initiative

  Fueled by concerns that private contractors for Medicare are not fulfilling their responsibility to...

Issue 32, August 11, 2005

• AAAHC survey tips for constant preparation

  The staff at Anaheim (CA) Surgicenter, Inc. found their January Accreditation Association for...

• New classification system aims to improve safety, reduce errors

  A system called the Patient Safety Event Taxonomy (PSET) could unite numerous patient safety...

Issue 31, August 4, 2005

• How to stay out of trouble with your drug samples

  Pharmaceutical sales representatives come into healthcare settings with all sorts of sample drugs...

• Docs' fears of reporting errors lifted by new law

  The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 was signed into law by President Bush on...

Issue 30, July 28, 2005

• Modifying procedures in CPT codes

  You can modify procedures described in current procedural terminology (CPT) codes under certain...

Issue 29, July 21, 2005

• Standardize abbreviations, dose designations

  The topic of standardizing abbreviation and dose designation lists made its way into the 2005...

• Report says FDA has failed to monitor child medical devices

  A new report shows that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has failed to adequately monitor the...

Issue 28, July 14, 2005

• Protect your eyes during laser surgery

  Many clinicians don’t understand the level of penetration of different lasers used in...

• Be wary of old studies, says new study

  A new study reviewing major studies published in three medical journals indicates that many of...

Issue 27, July 7, 2005

• Good handwriting is essential to patient safety

  Do pharmacists call you to clarify prescriptions you’ve written? Do nurses constantly need...

• Good handwriting is essential to patient safety

  Do pharmacists call you to clarify prescriptions you’ve written? Do nurses constantly need...

• Report indicates adverse drug events still safety threat

  A new report on the danger of adverse drug events (ADEs) indicates ADEs still pose a significant...

Issue 26, June 30, 2005

• Protect staff with a quality ergonomic program

  Nursing positions show up twice in the Bureau of Labor Statistics list of most work-related...

• Consumers urged not to use fireworks this Independence Day

  An alliance of health and safety organizations are asking consumers to avoid using fireworks...

Issue 25, June 23, 2005

• How to prepare for your 2006 unannounced JCAHO survey

  Come January 1, 2006, the JCAHO will conduct all surveys unannounced. This means no more cramming...

• Industry wants to crack down on medical device reuse

  A new bill has been filed in Massachusetts that, if passed, would require doctors and other...

Issue 24, June 16, 2005

• Define terms to meet anesthesia standards

  The AAAHC revised some of the anesthesia standards in 2005 to clarify providers’ availability...

• JCAHO recommends ’systems approach’ to patient safety

  The president of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO...

Issue 23, June 9, 2005

• Finally, CMS allows hand-gel dispensers in corridors

  Ending a lengthy debate over where to locate hand-gel dispensers, the Centers for Medicare...

• Medicare-based system proposed to track safety, effectiveness of medications

  The head of Medicare has proposed a Medicare-based system that could help reduce the number of...

Issue 22, June 2, 2005

• Prepare yourself for a 2006 unannounced JCAHO survey

  Come January 1, 2006, the JCAHO will conduct all surveys unannounced. This means no more cramming...

• Standard colon polyp detection much less effective in women

  The results from a new large-scale study indicate that standard techniques for colon polyp...

Issue 21, May 26, 2005

• mproved staff efficiency leads to positive survey feedback

  The Surgery and Laser Center in Seneca, PA, has used several nonverbal communication strategies to...

• Study shows PDAs reduce prescribing errors

  A new study intended to determine the impact of personal digital assistants (PDAs) for Ambulatory...

Issue 20, May 19, 2005

• Be aware of extensive QI revisions to Chapter 5

  The AAAHC’s revised Chapter 5: Quality Management and Improvement contains several changes in...

• Study shows medical errors still kill many patients

  A new study shows that despite an increased focus on patient safety over the past five years, as...

Issue 19, May 12, 2005

• Complete your PPR requirement by staying on track

  Effective in 2006, JCAHO accredited organizations must annually complete a periodic performance...

• Hospitals call for medical device bar-coding

  Hospital groups are urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to follow through on a 2004...

Issue 18, May 5, 2005

• Aspirin therapy before surgery is "balancing act"

  Researchers have found that patients taking aspirin on a regular bases for heart disease need to be...

Issue 17, April 28, 2005

• Surgeons required to work in accredited centers

  The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS) requires new members to perform surgeries in...

• Keyboards found to be germ playground

  The technologies more institutions are using to improve patient care may be negatively affecting...

Issue 16, April 21, 2005

• Improve communication by educating nurses on notewriting

  AAAHC standards A7 and D1 and JCAHO’s National Patient Safety Goal #2 require your facility...

• FDA panel supports silicone implants’ return to market

  An advisory panel for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted 7-2 in favor of allowing...

Issue 15, April 14, 2005

• Standardize abbreviations to meet accreditor requirements

  Both the JCAHO and the AAAHC weighed in on the use of abbreviations this year. The JCAHO made...

• If the glove fits...wear a second one

  At last week’s Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses Congress in New Orleans...

Issue 14, April 7, 2005

• NQF to review eight ambulatory care measures

  CMS posted on its Web site eight ambulatory care measures submitted for review to the National...

• CMS will allow ASCs to use alcohol-based hand rub dispensers

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will publish an interim final rule that allows...

Issue 13, March 31, 2005

• AAAHC standard: Address patient safety with risk management

  The AAAHC board of directors approved revisions to the 2005 Accreditation Handbook for Ambulatory...

• Research suggests invasive monitoring for obesity surgery

  Obese patients undergoing laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery should have invasive monitoring with...

Issue 12, March 24, 2005

• Surveyor looks at charts, physician credentialing, QI

  When the Hawthorn Endoscopy Center of North Dartmouth, MA, opened five years ago, it sought...

• Comprehensive breast implant Web site launched

  Two leading plastic surgery organizations have announced the launch of a new Web site dedicated to...

Issue 10, March 10, 2005

• Be prepared to prepare medications

  In spring 2004 the JCAHO clarified standard MM.4.20 to allow nurses to prepare IV admixtures when...

• Comment period opens on new sterile field recommendations

  The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) recently reviewed and revised a series...

Issue 9, March 3, 2005

• 2,000th facility accredited by AAAHC is a model ASC

  Sapling Grove Surgery Center in Bristol, TN, went through AAAHC accreditation for two reasons: A...

• Study supports surgical site infection prevention need

  A study published by the Archives of Surgery reinforces the need for facilities to address...

Issue 8, February 24, 2005

• Better patient education by identifying barriers, using simple tips

  Effective patient education can lead to greater patient satisfaction, fewer post-surgery visits to...

• Health officials investigate bogus cosmetic injections

  An investigation is underway in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Northern Virginia following...

Issue 7, February 17, 2005

• Use discretion in the waiting room

  Compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is as...

• JCAHO weighs in on medical liability crisis

  Lawsuits filed by patients against medical practitioners who’ve made errors in their care may...

Issue 6, February 10, 2005

• Don’t be averse to addressing adverse events

  Adverse events affect not only patients and their immediate caregivers, but all levels of...

• Syringe scare leads to FDA alert

  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week reissued a nationwide alert concerning batches of...

Issue 5, February 3, 2005

• Keep surgical instruments finely-tuned

  With so many high-tech medical instruments in use at your surgery center, how do you know they are...

• AAAHC to host "how-to" accreditation conferences

  Recently-established ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), or facilities that are ready to re-apply...

Issue 4, January 27, 2005

• Don’t overlook AAAHC accreditation handbook updates

  Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) seeking AAAHC reaccreditation may be at a disadvantage if they...

• Office-based surgeries v. ASCs: The debate heats up

  In response to the publication of an article in Dermatologic Surgery magazine about a study...

Issue 3, January 20, 2005

• Core chapter revisions to AAAHC standards

  The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) in mid-November released its...

• Take time to recognize nurse anesthetists

  Their faces may be the last patients see before they slip into unconsciousness during a surgical...

Issue 2, January 13, 2005

• Patient feedback helps surgery center refine policies

  Evergreen Surgery Center, LLC (ESC), in Kirkland, WA, dazzled a JCAHO surveyor with the way it let...

• Antibiotics aren’t always the answer, says CDC

  With someone sniffling, sneezing or coughing pretty much wherever one turns, it couldn’t be...

Issue 1, January 6, 2005

• Healthy employees are key to a healthy facility

  Given the current shortage of antiviral drugs and vaccines-the most effective measures for...

• Study: Some surgeries safer when performed in docs’ offices

  Many people may prefer to have a surgical procedure performed in a hospital or ambulatory surgery...

Issue 52, December 28, 2005

• Congress cuts 2007 Medicare ASC payments for 2007

  Congress approved reimbursement cuts to those ambulatory surgery center (ASC) procedures that are...

Issue 50, December 13, 2005

• IOM report supports national performance measures

  A new Institute of Medicine (IOM) report urged Congress to establish a system to measure and report...