Patients rate telehealth physician visits favorably during COVID-19 pandemic
Editor's Note This study by UCLA researchers finds patient experiences with telehealth physician appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic were as positive as traditional face-to-face visits and phone visits, or even more so. The researchers surveyed 58,509 adult patients on their 13,928 primary care and 44,581 specialty physician visits at 197…
CMS delays Hospital Quality Star Ratings update until July
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on February 11 announced it will delay updating the Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings on the Care Compare website until July, the American Hospital Association reports. The delay is needed so CMS can correct a calculation error in the CY…
Study: Rise in healthcare-associated infections during pandemic
Editor's Note In an analysis published on February 12 by the New England Journal of Medicine, findings indicate that since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, incidents of healthcare-associated infections and other patient safety complications have been on the rise, Becker’s Hospital Review reports. According to the analysis authors, there…
Likelihood of acute COVID-19 in RT-PCR negative patients
Editor's Note This study by researchers at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School finds that treatment for COVID-19 should be based on clinical judgment and not just testing. Between April and October 2020, the researchers looked at four groups: 40 patients who were RT-PCR confirmed positive 20 patients who repeatedly tested…
The Joint Commission, AHA announce new advanced certification program for heart attack patient care
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on February 13, announced that it has partnered with the American Heart Association (AHA) to develop a new advanced disease-specific care certification program for heart attack patient care. The Comprehensive Heart Attack Center (CHAC) Certification Program (CHAC), which is based on AHA clinical practice guidelines…
Report: Only 14.3% of hospitals comply with 2021 price transparency rule
Editor's Note According to Healthcare Purchasing News (HPN), a new report published by PatientRightsAdvocate.org shows that the majority of hospitals continue to not disclose the cost of care from consumers one year after an Executive Order requiring hospitals to post their real prices went into effect. The “Semi-Annual Hospital Price…
Splash risks, droplet dispersal during instrument reprocessing
Editor's Note This pilot project, by epidemiologist Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH, and colleagues finds that routine reprocessing activities generate substantial splashing and droplet dispersal, and that currently recommended items of personal protective equipment (PPE) do not adequately protect personnel from exposure. The researchers found that: Droplets were generated during every…
The Joint Commission begins surveying for COVID-19 vaccinations in 24 states
Editor's Note As of February 14, The Joint Commission began surveying to the COVID-19 vaccination requirements in the 24 states that were not previously subject to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) “Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination” interim final rule. Healthcare organizations in these 24 states must…
Study: Nearly a third of older adults developed new medical conditions after COVID-19
Editor's Note In this study, published by the British Medical Journal, 32% of individuals, 65 years and older, who were infected with COVID-19 developed at least one new medical condition in the months after the initial infection, the February 11 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. This 32% was 11% higher than…
Vaccination rates and new COVID-19 infections by US county
Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the University of Cincinnati, finds that areas with low vaccination rates experienced a more intense surge of new cases during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily driven by the Delta variant. In the analysis, COVID-19 infections per 100,000 people during…
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