Editor's Note The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) on May 23 released a new online toolkit to help healthcare organizations and providers respond when a patient is harmed. The toolkit is based on the Communication and Optimal Resolution (CANDOR) process, which is a patient-centered approach that emphasizes early…

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Editor's Note As part of the drive to reduce opioid use, rotator-cuff repairs are becoming a testing ground for alternative approaches to pain management, the May 23 Wall Street Journal reports. Because rotator-cuff surgery is one of the most painful procedures to recover from, physicians hope that if alternative painkilling…

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Editor's Note This study found that implementation of a clinical practice guideline for management of pediatric complicated appendicitis standardized practice patterns among surgeons and was associated with reduced resource use and improved patient outcomes. Compared with the pre-guideline group, patients in the post-guideline group were less likely to: receive a…

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Editor's Note In this study, patient factors, hospital case volume, and practice patterns were found to be associated with in-hospital mortality after elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. Of 166, 443 AAA repairs performed at 1,207 hospitals, in-hospital mortality was 0.7% for endovascular AAA repair and 3.8% for open AAA…

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Editor's Note Physicians Endoscopy, an ambulatory surgery center management company based in Jamison, Pennsylvania, is one of 12 outpatient-focused professional organizations and 10 ambulatory health care systems selected by the Joint Commission and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to participate in an infection prevention initiative. The initiative, called…

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Editor's Note Fast-track total hip and knee arthroplasties with a median length of stay of 3 days and discharge to home are feasible in most patients 85 years of age or older, this study finds. Of 13,775 procedures included in the analysis: median age was 87 years and median length…

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Editor's Note Medical chart review for surgical site infections (SSIs) that were identified through administrative data is an efficient supplemental SSI surveillance strategy following total hip and knee arthroplasty, this study finds. Of 162 patients with potential SSIs identified by diagnosis or procedure code, 46 (28%) were confirmed as an…

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Editor's Note Mangers who inspire their staff members who work in groups to perform above and beyond the call of duty may harm their employees' health, finds this study. The results suggest that constant pressure from transformational leaders to make an extra effort at work may promote self-sacrifice in vulnerable…

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Editor's Note ECRI Institute (Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania) on May 23 released its new recall management tool, Automatch for Equipment. The tool automatically identifies equipment models and supplies in a healthcare facility’s inventory that are impacted by an alert or recall, and notifies designated department staff. Automatch for Equipment is the…

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Editor's Note In this study, researchers concluded that risk-adjusted postoperative 30-day mortality is useful as a surrogate for long-term outcomes in patients at Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospitals. Though the VHA has used 30-day mortality as a measure of surgical quality for more than 20 years, the measure has been…

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