Musical preference differs by OR specialty, professional role
Editor's Note Musical preferences and perceptions of the effect of music in the OR differ by professional status and specialty, this study finds. A survey of 282 patients and 390 providers (ie, physicians, residents, and nurses in anesthesiology and surgery), found that: Patients who highly enjoyed music said it alleviated…
ACS updates Statements on Principles, including position on concurrent surgeries
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons on April 12 released an update of its Statements on Principles, which includes its position on the practice of concurrent surgeries performed by a primary attending surgeon. The statement notes that in general, the primary attending surgeon should be in the operating suite…
Bariatric surgeon skill not linked to late outcomes
Editor's Note Weight loss and obesity-related comorbidity outcomes at 1 year after surgery are unrelated to surgeon skill, this study finds. Comparing patients who were operated on by surgeons in the top 25% for surgical skill scores and surgeons in the bottom 25%, there were no major differences in the…
ASTM International to publish new medical devices cleaning standard
Editor's Note A new ASTM International standard will help manufacturers validate a standardized, safe, and effective level for cleaning of medical devices. The standard--soon to be published as F3127, Guide for Validating Cleaning Lines for Medical Devices--is the result of a November 2011 symposium sponsored by ASTM International (formerly known…
ECRI Institute lists top 10 safety concerns for 2016
Editor's Note The ECRI Institute (Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania) on April 13 released its “Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns for Healthcare Organizations” for 2016. Topping the list was “Health IT configurations and organizational workflow that do not support each other,” followed by “Patient identification errors.” “Inadequate cleaning and disinfection of flexible…
CMS quality ratings linked to lower readmission, mortality rates
Editor's Note Hospitals that rank higher in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) Hospital Compare star ratings system have lower readmission and mortality rates, compared with those ranked lower in the system, this study finds. Hospitals with five stars had an 18.7% readmission rate, compared with 22.9% for one-star…
Some 60% of hospitals could face penalties under new joint replacement rule
Editor's Note A new analysis by Avalere Health (Washington, DC) finds that 60% of hospitals participating in Medicare’s Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement bundled-payment model could face penalties if they don’t reduce their costs. The average total joint costs around $13,000, but the entire episode-of-care costs twice that at $26,000.…
FDA: Vascular Solutions recalls Guardian II hemostasis valves
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 11 announced the recall by Vascular Solutions, Inc (Minneapolis, Minnesota), of specific lots of Guardian II hemostasis valves used in catheterization procedures. The recall was initiated because of an increased risk of air leakage that may lead to an air…
Most Americans do not link healthcare quality to costs
Editor's Note Most Americans do not think healthcare prices and quality are associated and may avoid low-price care, finds this study. Depending on how the question was framed, 58% to 71% of Americans in a nationally representative survey did not associate healthcare prices and quality. A minority did perceive an…
Readmission reduction program has mixed results
Editor's Note A readmission reduction program for high-risk Medicare patients lowered 30-day readmission rates, but the effect was small and did not achieve the goal set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), this study finds. Of 10,621 patients studied, readmission rates decreased from 21.5% to 19.5% in…
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- ASC improves hospital efficiency, maintains outcomes despite higher-acuity joint replacement patients
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- Report ranks states by nursing opportunity
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- Centralized waitlists slash joint replacement wait times in Canada, study shows
- Airborne bacteria pose hidden threat in cardiac ORs, study warns