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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

Editor's Note Researchers from University of Connecticut, Peking University School, and Eli Lilly & Company have designed an injectable gel that could someday provide scaffolds for human cartilage without surgery. The findings were published by Nature Communications on October 6.  Some highlights include: The injectable, biodegradable piezoelectric (electricity-producing) hydrogel can…

Read More

Editor's Note Active daily habits–specifically getting more than 7,500 steps a day before a surgical procedure–cuts the odds of complications within 90 days after discharge in half, regardless of the complication of a patient’s operation, MedicalXpress October 20 reports. The findings were presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical…

Read More

Editor's Note A new Sentinel Event Alert from The Joint Commission focuses on the continuing dangers of surgical fires, why they occur, and how to take preventative measures. The alert was issued on October 18. Some highlights include: There is no national repository collecting data on surgical fires, and little…

Read More

Editor's Note The Million Hearts Model program—an initiative to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes within 5 years—reduced the probability of a first-time myocardial infarction or stroke without significant changes in Medicare spending. The findings were published by JAMA Network on October 12. The Million Hearts Model paid healthcare…

Read More

Editor's Note A new study in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery finds that long-term survival rates are extremely promising for patients who receive low-risk isolated surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). The study, titled "Survival Following Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in Low-Risk Patients: A Contemporary Trial Benchmark," was published on October…

Read More

Editor's Note A 5-day limit on opioid pain medication prescriptions in Michigan did not negatively impact patient-reported pain levels or satisfaction, JAMA Network October 13 reports. The study, titled "Changes in surgical opioid prescribing and patient-reported outcomes after implementation of an insurer opioid prescribing limit," was published by JAMA Health…

Read More

Editor's Note A new study found that Black and Hispanic patients are significantly more likely to die after a surgical procedure than white patients, Newsweek October 15 reports. The findings were presented at the 2023 Anesthesiology annual meeting. The study analyzed over a million surgical procedures at 7,740 US hospitals…

Read More