Black Book™, recognized for accurate, impartial customer satisfaction surveys in the healthcare services and software industries, conducted a comprehensive crowdsourced user poll to determine the highest-ranked medical transcription software systems and outsourced virtual scribe services.
In total, 551 hospitals and 2,235 physician practices responded to the Black Book polls in Q2-Q4 2022, measuring how providers are dealing with future-proofing their technology, decreasing staffing costs, and resource shortages with state-of-the-art transcription software and outsourced solutions.
"Medical transcription has become a critical part of the clinical documentation process as vendors are tested with the challenges of supporting clients as they go through healthcare reform, extended COVID responses, and the progressive move toward value-based reimbursement," said Doug Brown, Managing Partner of Black Book.
Studies evidenced that traditional EHR charting has led to a reduced quality of the patient encounter as reported by 95% of physicians and 91% of office staff survey respondents, as well as clinician burnout reconfirmed by 93% of responding physicians. Eighty-two percent of 606 healthcare consumers (patients) also surveyed in a Black Book panel poll indicated they are dissatisfied with the abbreviated time spent with their physician in their last exam, both in-office and through telemedicine.
Business office managers and physician administrators report, on average, 31% or more loss of practice revenue caused by increased down-coding and fewer patient visits, including telemedicine encounters, since 2019.
"When practices use virtual scribes, clinicians see a significant reduction in time expended in non-clinical tasks, reduced queues for patient visits, improved documentation, and coding quality, and enhanced patient satisfaction," said Brown.
Based on the aggregate client experience and customer satisfaction scores on 18 key performance indicators, AQuity ranked first across all 2022 surveyed subsets including:
Transcription Technology Software, Hospitals, and Inpatient Facility Practitioners;
Transcription Technology Software, Physicians, and Ambulatory Care;
Virtual/Outsourced Transcription Services, Hospitals, and Inpatient Facilities, Practitioners, and
Virtual/Outsourced Transcription Services, Physicians, and Ambulatory Care.
"AQuity is recognized repeatedly for the success of the company because it has built on a winning combination of unparalleled customer service, innovative applications of technology, reliability, and transparent processes by seamlessly integrating EHR, artificial intelligence, and documentation workflow," said Brown.
About Black Book™
Black Book Market Research LLC provides medical transcription clients, healthcare IT users, media, investors, analysts, quality-minded vendors, and prospective software and services buyers with comprehensive comparison data of the industry's top respected and competitively performing solutions vendors. The largest user opinion poll of its kind in healthcare IT, Black Book™ collects over 900,000 viewpoints on information technology and outsourced services vendor performance annually. Black Book is internationally recognized for over 17 years of customer satisfaction and loyalty polling, particularly in technology, services, and outsourcing industries.
Black Book™ founders, management, and staff do not own or hold any financial interest in any of the vendors covered and encompassed in this survey including AQuity Solutions, and Black Book reports the results of the collected satisfaction and client experience rankings in publication and to media prior to vendor notification of rating results.
Legionnaires' disease cases have increased nearly tenfold in recent decades, leading to thousands of hospitalizations and deaths. Outbreaks are linked to Legionella, a bacteria found in potable water systems in large facilities like hospitals, multi-family buildings, resorts, and office buildings. A recently published study shows that copper-silver ionization effectively controls Legionella in building water systems to prevent Legionnaires' disease.
Copper-Silver Ionization System A copper-silver ionization system installed in a building to prevent Legionella in the potable water supply.
LOMBARD, Ill., March 28, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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A new study published in the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Water Science journal shows that copper-silver ionization effectively controls Legionella in building water systems. The study, conducted by Dr. Mark LeChevallier with technical and financial support from LiquiTech, examines more than 80 sources of research studies and related literature to analyze the efficacy of copper-silver ionization as a water treatment solution. Dr. LeChevallier concludes "that use of copper-silver ionization to control Legionella and other opportunistic pathogens is highly effective when the units are properly designed, maintained, and operated."
Legionnaires' disease cases have increased nearly tenfold in recent decades, leading to thousands of hospitalizations. Those who catch Legionnaires' disease experience a severe form of pneumonia caused by Legionella, a bacteria found in poorly maintained water systems.
Studies show that Legionella is responsible for about two-thirds of all disease outbreaks from drinking water and the cause of all documented deaths attributed to drinking water-associated infections.
Historically, outbreaks were linked to cooling tower systems. As our understanding of Legionella has advanced over recent decades, most outbreaks are now connected to potable water systems in large facilities, such as hospitals, long-term healthcare facilities, resorts, and office buildings. It's estimated that 54% of all potable building water systems have some level of Legionella present.
Plumbing codes and regulations have been developed to standardize the design, structure, and management of building water systems to prevent waterborne diseases. However, based on the studies cited in this article and elsewhere, there is a need for supplemental treatment of building water systems.
One such supplemental treatment is copper-silver ionization, a chemical-free disinfection solution for potable water systems. It releases copper and silver ions into the building's water system to destroy waterborne pathogens like Legionella.
Copper-silver ionization is not a new water treatment option. Silver ionization was used in the 1960s by NASA for the sanitation of water on spacecraft. In the 1980s, copper-silver ionization was used in swimming pools as an alternative to chlorine.
Later, in 1994, copper-silver ionization was the first reported effective treatment for controlling Legionella in a hospital. Today, copper-silver ionization is used to prevent waterborne pathogens in a variety of buildings with complex water systems.
Although copper-silver ionization is a low-cost and chemical-free option for water disinfection, the system must be designed properly and used in the appropriate applications to achieve optimal results. Crucial to its effectiveness is identifying and responding to abnormalities in water usage patterns and chemistry.
Dr. LeChevallier, a drinking water research scientist with a Ph.D. in Microbiology, examined literature and studies related to copper-silver ionization system design, maintenance, and operations, and the impact water chemistry has on its performance. In addition to authoring more than 300 research papers, Dr. LeChevallier is a member of the Drinking Water Subcommittee of the Science Advisory Board of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), a past member of the Water Science Technology Board of the National Academies of Science, and the past Chair of the AWWA Water Science & Research Division.
In his recently published study, Dr. LeChevallier explained, "These water quality and operational characteristics must be properly addressed to assure that the highest disinfection efficacy is obtained through copper-silver ionization."
He reviewed research and related literature to investigate the mechanisms of copper and silver disinfection. Copper-silver ionization works by treating water through electrolysis. An electric current is applied to a copper and silver bar to produce and release positively charged ions. These copper and silver ions then find microorganisms in the water with a negative charge, like Legionella. The copper ions bond to the negative walls of the microorganisms, disrupting cell wall permeability and the absorption of life-sustaining nutrients. This disruption to the cell wall allows the silver ions to enter and destroy the core of the bacteria, thus making it impossible to survive.
Dr. LeChevallier cited studies showing that copper and silver can work as biocides independently or together. One study emphasized that combined treatment with copper and silver was associated with decreased incidence of Legionella and a faster reduction of bacteria than copper or silver alone.
In addition to copper-silver ionization being considered an effective supplemental method for water treatment by researchers, the US EPA has recognized both copper and silver as metallic antimicrobial agents. Studies show that copper-silver ionization is effective against many waterborne pathogens, including Legionella, Nontuberculous Mycobacterium, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Acinetobacter, and fungi.
While the issue of copper-silver resistance was discussed in portions of the literature that Dr. LeChevallier reviewed, it's important to note that there was no evidence of it occurring with Legionella. Copper-silver resistance, where pathogens can continue to grow and thrive even in the presence of copper and silver, was only observed with E. coli and Salmonella.
During his investigation, Dr. LeChevallier found that the design, operation, and maintenance of copper-silver ionization systems are critical to their effective functionality. In his published paper, he explained that copper-silver ionization will act as a water disinfectant; however, the proper engineering and operation of the system are integral to its success.
Essential components of the copper-silver ionization system include the electrodes, flow cells, power supply, control panel, flow meter, and web interface. Each component must be operated and maintained for copper-silver ionization to be most effective.
"Buyers of [copper-silver ionization] systems should pay attention to the design and configuration of the electrodes - particularly as they wear. The construction of the flow cell and the adequacy of the power supply are important to deliver the necessary amperage to achieve the target copper and silver concentrations. Copper and silver doses should be flow paced and can be remotely monitored with a web-based interface," said Dr. LeChevallier.
Additionally, Dr. LeChevallier cautioned that water quality can impact copper-silver ionization as a water treatment. He explained that water chemistry, physiochemical, and environmental factors can influence the efficacy of copper-silver ionization if not considered and managed correctly.
Specific factors to consider include temperature, oxygen levels in the water, flow, pH levels, and levels of biofilm, sediment, and other chemicals that can impact the performance of copper-silver ionization. He stressed that these factors must be considered during planning, commissioning, and system operations for copper-silver ionization to be successful.
Dr. LeChevallier cited several case studies where copper-silver ionization was implemented in a building water system with positive outcomes. He explained that University of Pittsburgh researchers Dr. Stout and Dr. Yu found that copper-silver ionization is a viable proactive strategy for long-term Legionella control, specifically for healthcare facilities.
The studies collected data from 16 hospitals with copper-silver ionization systems over the course of five to 11 years. These studies found that 50% of the hospitals had not reported any indications of Legionella, and 43% had no indications for another five years.
In addition to the promising implementation of copper-silver ionization at hospitals, other case studies found benefits in multi-family buildings, hotels, and other specialized hospitals, including children's and veterans' hospitals.
Summarizing his findings, Dr. LeChevallier concluded, "This study has shown that [copper-silver ionization] can be effectively used for management of Legionella and other waterborne pathogens through the installation of a properly designed and maintained [copper-silver ionization] system and the details of the engineering and operation of the system are important to ensure the consistent delivery of copper and silver ions at their target levels."
About LiquiTech
For more than 30 years, LiquiTech has partnered with businesses worldwide to provide chemical-free, sustainable water treatment solutions. Their highly engineered approach brings together the right combination of products, services, and expertise to solve the most challenging water quality issues and help businesses get the most out of their water-bearing equipment. With more than 3,000 installations, LiquiTech is the worldwide leader in smart, clean solutions for water treatment. Learn more at liquitech.com.
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