Medicare Recommends New Set of Quality Procedures for Outpatient Surgery Centers Claims Briskman Briskman & Greenberg
Medicare Recommends New Set of Quality Procedures for Outpatient Surgery Centers Claims Briskman Briskman & Greenberg
Chicago, Ill. (PRWEB) October 06, 2011
Many people go to outpatient surgery centers for procedures. These facilities are licensed by the state, accredited, and certified by Medicare. As an influx of procedures are being performed in these settings versus a hospital, a new ambulatory surgery center (ASC) quality reporting program has been announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
“There are more than 5,000 of these centers across the nation, and Medicare is stepping up to ensure that patient safety standards are being upheld,” said Chicago personal injury lawyer Paul A. Greenberg, Esq., of the law firm Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. “These measures are necessary and will help to reduce the number of medical errors and wrongful deaths at outpatient surgical centers.”
Medicare will examine the following quality measures starting in 2012:
Surgeries on the wrong patient, wrong body part, or with the wrong implant
Patient falls and burns
Transfers from ASCs to hospitals after surgery
Antibiotics administered on time
Appropriately removing hair on patients before surgery
“Most of the medical errors that occur at outpatient surgery centers are preventable,” said Greenberg, who is also a 2011 Illinois Super Lawyer. “Medicare is giving advance notice to these facilities so that optimal safety protocols can be implemented by year end.”
Some outpatient surgery centers focus on a single subspecialty such as ophthalmology, orthopedics, or urology. Others provide two or more subspecialties. Many of the centers are considered small businesses, with a typical staff of 20 people. Electronic health records have been shown to vastly improve the quality and efficiency of patient care.
“With more than 20 million surgeries performed each year in these settings, it is critical that effective communication and best practices are being upheld before anesthesia is given, before an incision occurs, and before the person leaves the operating room,” said Chicago personal injury attorney Greenberg.
Patients who have been injured or lost a family member because of an incident at an outpatient surgery center or ASC should contact a Chicago injury lawyer immediately. To learn more, visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com or call 877-595-HURT (4878).
Briskman Briskman & Greenberg
351 West Hubbard Street, Ste 810
Chicago, IL 60654
1.877.595.4878
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