It’s easy to see how a mistake can happen in the veterinary operating room. Overbookings, distractions, interruptions, or just plain being tired all contribute to adverse outcomes. Although avoiding these challenges requires ongoing diligence, effective processes can eliminate other preventable errors and ensure better veterinary OR outcomes.[...]

Surgical facilities provide life-saving healthcare. But, they also create life-threatening biohazard, chemical hazard and infection prevention challenges that threaten the safety of both patients and the clinical staff. Consequently, improving patient safety in the surgical environment is essential to effective patient care. [...]

From annual exams to other routine care, when pets visit a veterinary practice, prescribing a medication isn’t always an outcome of the appointment. But, for a sick or injured animal, it is often an essential part of the treatment. And when medication dispensing in the veterinary office is required, so is effective labeling. It guides owners, helping to ensure their pet gets the right dosage at the right time. Plus, they alert the veterinary staff, preventing miscommunication and potentially damaging medication errors. [...]

When you don’t feel well, who wants to leave the comforts of their home to visit a doctor’s office? And, the convenience of consulting a healthcare professional from your home is one of the reasons telemedicine is a growing healthcare alternative to doctor visits. Although that trend is still emerging for veterinarians, pet owners value that same ease of access. So, if you offer that service today or plan to consider it in the future, connecting with the patient electronically isn’t the only consideration. There are medical record and medication labeling steps that remain an important part of the process.[...]

Healthcare labels. They don’t make the list when C-level executives meet to discuss cost controls. And, because of a spend that’s less significant than medical devices or personal protection equipment, healthcare labels often don’t get attention from the supply chain team. But, like their higher expenditure brethren, when managed effectively there are steps you can take to impact costs and ensure effective patient care. [...]

A single source does not automatically translate into reducing hospital supply chain costs. But the right single source provides you leverage to meet cost reduction objectives. From unit cost savings, SKU reductions, better material selection, waste reduction and more, an effective label provider can help you reduce costs and improve the service you provide to internal departments. But, is it worth your time? With numerous commodities to manage and other priorities that limit your time, does a single source healthcare label provider truly impact your costs and help you meet supply chain goals? [...]

Nearly 100 million Americans will embark on a family vacation this summer. And for the 68% of households that own a pet, part of their planning will include deciding if their dogs and cats get to accompany them on the trip or will require other accommodations. Whether it’s a vacation, business trip or just long days in the office, many pet owners turn to veterinarians, boarding and pet care facilities to manage their pets while they are away. And, as the demand for these services increase, so does the need for pet boarding infection control processes to ensure a safe, healthy environment that pet owners will want to utilize in the future.[...]

Are hospital mergers part of a national trend driven by Medicare and an evolving insurance market that impacts reimbursement? Or, as Lawton Robert Burns, Professor of the Health Care Management Department at The Wharton School suggested, a reaction to the unknown, i.e., “we’re not sure how to compete better but, if we get bigger, maybe we’ll survive.” [...]

What impact do healthgrades have on hospitals and their efforts to improve patient safety? Although some in healthcare circles question the scientific methodology of these studies, Healthcare Finance reports that healthcare ratings can impact a hospital’s bottom line. But, regardless of your belief in the data collection and interpretation, or the impact on revenue, one thing is certain. Infection prevention issues remain challenging for hospitals irrespective of their ranking. [...]

Have you ever come home from a trip to the grocery store only to discover you purchased the wrong item? Adding insult to injury, it’s one of those staples that you rarely run out of and you purchased dozens of times before - from the same store. But, as you pull it out of your shopping bag you realize it’s not the product you wanted. Maybe the packaging or the name was similar to the item you normally buy and, after a quick glance, you grabbed it and threw it in the cart. [...]