The healthcare sector has begun grappling with a repeat challenge this fall and winter: the simultaneous surge of three significant respiratory diseases—flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID-19 among both children and adults. When these diseases collide, they constitute what experts have termed a “tripledemic,” which poses a significant strain…

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Takeaways Clinical hours per case is a simple, yet effective, productivity metric. Analysis of productivity measures can include benchmarking against external and internal data. A positive work culture will improve staff productivity. Productivity is a foundational concept for leaders of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). “Measuring productivity is essential to be…

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Takeaways Clinical hours per case is a simple, yet effective, productivity metric. Analysis of productivity measures can include benchmarking against external and internal data. A positive work culture will improve staff productivity. Many health systems rely on external, third-party agencies to deploy nurses and other staff. But when a situation…

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Pain treatments have applications in traditional hospital OR settings and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). “The choice of setting depends on the specific needs of the patient, the type of procedure being performed, and the resources available,” says Wang Lushun, MD, senior consultant orthopedic surgeon at Arete Orthopaedic Centre in Singapore.…

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Editor's Note Researchers have designed a new IV needle, called the Phase-Convertible, Adapting and non-REusable (P-CARE) needle, which becomes soft and flexible when inserted. The findings were published in Nature Biomedical Engineering on October 30.  Some highlights of the article include: Because medical IV needles are rigid, it allows them…

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Editor's Note Two major hospital systems–Universal Health Services (UHS) and Tenet Healthcare–saw improved third-quarter profits in 2023, but Community Health Systems (CHS) and HCA Healthcare did not see similar upward trends, HealthLeaders November 3 reports.  According to the article, rising demand in services at UHS drove third-quarter earnings up 6.8%…

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Editor's Note The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) of Deerfield, Illinois, has released its revamped Ambulatory Surgery Considerations for Obesity and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Toolkit, ASC Focus October 2023 reports. The new toolkit provides updated guidelines on how healthcare providers can ensure that patients with obesity and/or obstructive…

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A 2021 report by the Association of American Medical Colleges projects shortages of 15,800 to 30,200 in all surgical specialties by 2034. Driven by various factors, including the growing healthcare needs of an aging population, an aging surgical workforce—with many surgeons and nurses nearing retirement—and limited capacity in medical and…

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Editor's Note New research shows that physicians who used telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic spent increased time working in the electronic health record (EHR). The research findings were published in JAMA Internal Medicine on October 30. Researchers studied the weekly EHR metadata of 1,052 physicians at the University of California…

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Editor's Note Video laryngoscopy was found to lead to higher intubation success rates over direct laryngoscopy in critically ill adult patients, an August 2023 randomized controlled trial published by the The New England Journal of Medicine shows. The findings were consistent whether they were intubated in an emergency room or…

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