While hospitals see more high-severity closed claims, most ASC-related claims are low or medium in severity, according to Anesthesiology News.  By Angie Stewart - 6/21/18

Surgeons and physicians can help alleviate the risk of patients becoming addicted to opioids by improving coordination about the prescription of opioids after surgery, University of Michigan researchers found.  By Angie Stewart - 6/13/18

Physicians can effectively manage patients' pain using fewer pills without compromising patient comfort or satisfaction, according to Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan Associate Professor Chad Brummett, MD.   By Angie Stewart - 6/8/18

Reader's Digest compiled a list of 12 common errors about the medical industry in movies and TV shows.  By Eric Oliver - 6/5/18

In our ongoing series, Becker's ASC Review spoke with American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities' Associate Director of Accreditation Jeanne Henry about the organization's commonly cited deficiency related to annual biomedical inspections.  By Eric Oliver - 6/1/18

Of the four U.S. cities on Deutsche Bank's quality of life index, Boston has the highest quality of life ranking at No. 11 and New York City has the lowest at No. 31, Business Insider reports.  By Angie Stewart - 5/31/18

A bill that could reverse reimbursement cuts for post-operative injections in ASCs advanced to the House of Representatives, News Channel 21 reports.  By Angie Stewart - 5/29/18

Healthgrades named Rapid City, S.D.-based Same Day Surgery Center among its 2018 Outstanding Patient Experience Award winners.  By Eric Oliver - 5/22/18

As most know, one hallmark characteristic of the Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) environment is high reliability, meaning there is an expectation of consistently good postoperative outcomes, especially when compared to alternative treatment settings. ASCs, and other high reliability systems have several common features including:  By Al Van Duren, Global Director of Scientific Affairs and Education, 3M Health Care - 5/18/18

A study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, claims physicians who accepted free meals and other perks from opioid-manufacturing drug companies were more likely to prescribe opioids to their patients, Medscape reports.  By Eric Oliver - 5/16/18

Amid a possible 20,000-physician shortage by 2020, telehealth companies are hoping to the fill the physician void, CNBC reports.  By Eric Oliver - 5/14/18

Patients treated in an ASC are less likely to be admitted to a hospital or visit an emergency room in a short period after outpatient surgery, according to an independent study published in the Journal of Health Economics.  By Angie Stewart - 5/11/18

After reporting a 92 percent EHR dissatisfaction rate in 2014, a recent Black Book survey said nurses' positive attitudes towards EHRs are trending upwards.  By Eric Oliver - 5/11/18

In our ongoing series, Becker's ASC Review spoke with American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities' Director of Accreditation Jeanne Henry about the organization's commonly cited deficiency related to ensuring that every operating room is equipped with a standard defibrillator or automated external defibrillator.  By Eric Oliver - 5/9/18

SPH Analytics honored 108 healthcare organizations with its 2017 National APEX Quality Award, including ASCs, catheterization laboratories, diagnostic imaging centers, endoscopy centers, physician practices and therapy and rehabilitation centers.  By Shayna Korol - 5/8/18

A study published in the Journal of Intensive Care Medicine found that the use of Silverlon antimicrobial dressings for central venous catheters significantly decreased central line-associated bloodstream infections in adult ICU patients compared to chlorhexidine gluconate-impregnated sponge dressings.  By Shayna Korol - 5/7/18

Rafael Lugo, MD, is a board-certified general surgeon and CEO at Lugo Surgical Group in Shenandoah, Texas. In a recent interview with Becker's ASC Review, Dr. Lugo spoke about the role of patient education in preventing surgical site infections.  By Shayna Korol - 5/4/18

In a recent press release, Viogaurd announced a self-sanitizing ultraviolet keyboard.   By Super User - 5/3/18

The Ophthalmic Instrument Cleaning and Sterilization Task Force released guidelines for the cleaning and sterilization of intraocular surgical instruments in ASCs.  By Angie Stewart - 5/1/18

The number of nurse practitioners and physician assistants hired in specialty practices rose 22 percent between 2008 and 2016, according to an article in JAMA Internal Medicine.  By Shayna Korol - 5/1/18