A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 5 9
I
t's not like ambulatory surgical centers needed another incen-
tive to warm patients, but now they have one anyway in the
form of a quality measure they must begin reporting in 2018:
"ASC-13: Normothermia Outcome."
Starting next year, ASCs must measure the percentage of patients
having surgery under general or neuraxial anesthesia for 60 minutes
or longer who are normothermic — a temperature of 35.5º C (95.9º F)
or higher — within 15 minutes of arrival in the post-anesthesia care
unit.
Validating hypothermia prevention, or at least measuring your efforts
to do so, has been a part of hospital federal quality reporting require-
ments for many years, but is new to the ASC program.
"ASC-13: Normothermia Outcome" is among the new measures
Medicare has added to the ASC Quality Reporting Program (ASCQRP)
• START TO FINISH Warming the patient for every leg of the perioperative journey, from the pre-op bay to the recovery room,
helps to maintain normothermia.
Warming Up to
Normothermia
A new CMS quality measure will require ASCs to track their ability to
keep patients warm. Are you ready? Bill Donahue | Senior Editor
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
