How to Reduce Operating Room Delays
When discussing timeliness within a hospital or other healthcare facility, the patient viewpoint is often at the forefront. However, delays, particularly those in the operating room, can also greatly impact the hospital’s efficiency and, ultimately, its revenue stream. With an astounding 65 percent of all OR patients arriving late for their appointment, taking steps...
Why Patients Miss Doctor Appointments & How to Decrease No-Shows
Given the fact that healthcare systems consumed about 20% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2017, which correlates to hundreds of millions of doctor visits each year, it is inevitable that the occasional no-show appointment will occur. However, a significant number of missed appointments can equate to millions of dollars in lost...
The Growing Importance of Online Reviews in Healthcare
Online reviews are now a part of virtually all industries, from restaurants to retail and everything in between. It’s not surprising, then, that the healthcare industry is not immune to this growing trend. Whether you’re a small business or a large hospital system, online reviews are going to affect your reputation and ultimately your...
How to Reduce Operating Room Waste
While operating rooms generate the highest revenue, these are also where most waste and supply costs come from. About 20 to 30 percent of hospital waste comes directly from the OR. Waste materials vary and are comparable to what’s disposed by different industries. Apart from surgical waste, disposal is needed for facility operations-related waste,...
Top Hospital Quality Problems and How to Solve Them
Research conducted by the American College of Healthcare Executives revealed top hospital issues. The list was presented from the highest to lowest rate. In 2016, the order is as follows: Financial issues Government mandates Patient safety and quality care Staffing concerns Patient satisfaction Access to care Doctor-related issues Population health management Technological challenges Organization-related...
Medicare Reimbursement Reduction due to Poor Hospital Quality and Patient Safety
While there’s no doubt that federal healthcare programs are beneficial for everyone in need of financial assistance with medical expenses, government funding can only allocate a limited annual budget for this purpose. This is why reimbursement is subject to approval; and with individuals taking advantage of the system’s loopholes, funding is further reduced. It’s...
How Accreditation Affects Health Care Quality for Hospitals and Nurses
Several studies have proven that accreditation programs contribute towards healthcare services’ quality. One specific piece of research – which utilized numerous databases including Medline, Embase, Healthstar, and Cinhal from 1980 to 2009, and covered varying medical conditions including pain management, infection control, surgical care, trauma and more – have concluded that accrediting bodies contributed...
The Role of Nurses in Hospital Quality Improvement
Nurses are directly involved in almost all aspects of hospital quality, including patient care, bedside and medication management, assistance with surgeries and other major operations, data collection/reporting, and more. Furthermore, nurses are directly responsible for monitoring and assessing patients, and performing immediate interventions to reduce risk or prevent medical complications. Nurses also oversee other care...