Migrating to electronic health record systems: A comparative study between the United States and the United Kingdom.

The goal of this research is to compare the healthcare information technology (HIT)-related policies and infrastructures of two very differently-run countries: The United States (US) that owns the largest private healthcare system in the world, and the United Kingdom (UK) that has the largest public healthcare system worldwide. The paper specifically focuses on the differences between the two countries' adoption of electronic healthcare record (EHR) systems, and their efforts toward interoperability, healthcare information security and privacy, and patient safety. Both authors on the paper are professionals in the HIT field and have firsthand experience designing and implementing electronic health record (EHR) systems.

Optimal Pain Control in Abdominal Wall Reconstruction.

Lack of physician familiarity with alternative pain control strategies is a major reason why opioids remain the most commonly used first-line treatment for pain after surgery. This is perhaps most problematic in abdominal wall reconstruction, where opioids may delay ambulation and return of bowel function, while negatively affecting mental status. In this article, we discuss multimodal strategies for optimal pain control in abdominal wall reconstruction.

Principles of Automation for Patient Safety in Intensive Care: Learning From Aviation.

Background: The transition away from written documentation and analog methods has opened up the possibility of leveraging data science and analytic techniques to improve health care. In the implementation of data science techniques and methodologies, high-acuity patients in the ICU can particularly benefit. The Principles of Automation for Patient Safety in Intensive Care (PASPIC) framework draws on Billings's principles of human-centered aviation (HCA) automation and helps in identifying the advantages, pitfalls, and unintended consequences of automation in health care.

Optimal Use of Surgical Drains: Evidence-Based Strategies.

Background: Closed-suction drains are widely used to reduce the incidence of seroma whenever potential spaces are surgically created. However, few studies have examined the parameters that affect drain efficacy.

Methods: An in vitro model was created to assess the effects of tubing length, tubing size, tubing type, fluid viscosity, fluid clotting, evacuator type, evacuator squeeze method, evacuator fill, and evacuator pressure on the performance of closed-suction drains.

Effects of the Affordable Care Act on Payer Mix and Physician Reimbursement in Hand Surgery.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the payer distribution and reimbursement rate for hand surgery at our institution.

Methods: We reviewed records of 4,257 patients who underwent hand surgery at our institution between January 2008 and June 2016; 2,601 patients underwent surgery before the implementation of the ACA, and 1,656 patients after. Type of procedure, insurance status, amount of money billed, and amount collected were recorded.

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries in Plastic Surgeons in the United States, Canada, and Norway.

Background: Musculoskeletal injuries are more common among surgeons than among the general population. However, little is known about these types of injuries among plastic surgeons specifically. The authors' goals were to evaluate the prevalence, nature, causes, and potential solutions of these musculoskeletal injuries among plastic surgeons in three different countries: the United States, Canada, and Norway.

Strategies for Postoperative Seroma Prevention: A Systematic Review.

Background: There is conflicting evidence on the effectiveness of the various strategies to prevent postoperative seroma. Many high-quality studies have been performed to evaluate those strategies, but the numbers of patients included in those studies have been small. The authors' goal was to perform a systematic review of all Level I and II studies on the prevention of postoperative seroma.

Surgeon Reimbursements in Maxillofacial Trauma Surgery: Effect of the Affordable Care Act in Ohio.

Background: Surgical treatment of maxillofacial injuries has historically been associated with low reimbursements, mainly because of the high proportion of uninsured patients. The Affordable Care Act, implemented in January of 2014, aimed to reduce the number of uninsured. If the Affordable Care Act achieves this goal, surgeons may benefit from improved reimbursement rates.

Patient Satisfaction After Rhinoplasty: A Social Media Analysis.

Background: Compared to other cosmetic procedures, rhinoplasty has a relatively low patient satisfaction rate, due to the difficulty of the procedure, and potentially unrealistic patient expectations. Understanding the reasons behind patient dissatisfaction is key to improving outcomes. Previous authors have done surgeon-initiated surveys, expert ratings, and morphologic measurements, to measure rhinoplasty success.