Physician burnout linked to regulatory changes
Editor's Note A Studer Group survey finds that nearly 90% of physicians have experienced burnout, and almost two-thirds say they are thinking about leaving the profession, the February 2 EHR Intelligence reports. Among the major causes of burnout cited were overcompensating for low staffing levels and the regulatory burdens of…
New clinical practice guideline on postop pain management
Editor's Note The American Pain Society, American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, and the American Society of Anesthesiologists have issued a new guideline on the “Management of Postoperative Pain.” The guideline provides recommendations that address aspects of postoperative pain management, including: preoperative education perioperative pain management planning use…
Johns Hopkins sustains success as top performer
Editor's Note The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore sustained top performance on all Joint Commission accountability measures from 2012 through 2014, and now more than 96% of patients receive recommended care consistent with national quality measures, this study finds. The sustainability process included: declaring and communicating goals creating an enabling…
Longer resident duty hours don’t affect patient safety
Editor's Note The flexibility for surgical residents to work longer shifts than currently allowed or take less time off between shifts to provide continuity of care was not associated with a greater risk of postoperative patient complications or death, a new study finds. There was also no significant difference in…
Texas Children’s wins ECRI Institute’s Health Devices Achievement Award
Editor's Note The ECRI Institute announced February 2 that Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston has won its 10th annual Health Devices Achievement Award. Texas Children’s winning submission, “Alarm Management Reboot,” describes the hospital’s efforts to improve patient safety by incorporating enterprise-wide alarm management practices to make alarms more meaningful and…
FDA posts updated information on duodenoscope reprocessors
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on February 1 posted updated information on which manufacturers of automated endoscope reprocessors (AERs) for duodenoscopes have completed validation testing with adequate results. There are five companies in the US that manufacture AERs labeled to reprocess duodenoscopes. Companies that have completed their…
Prevalence of malignant hyperthermia in New York ASCs
Editor's Note The prevalence of malignant hyperthermia (MH) in ambulatory surgery center (ASC) patients in New York state is approximately 1 per 500,000 and varies with surgical procedures, this study finds. Analyzing New York State Ambulatory Surgery Dataset data from 2002 to 2011, researchers found 31 of nearly 18 million…
University of Texas opens new nursing program for veterans
Editor's Note The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston on January 22 opened its new Veterans’ Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The program will facilitate the transition of United States military veterans into professional nursing by providing an opportunity for up to 10 veterans per semester to…
Proposed rule would allow sharing, selling of Medicare data
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on January 29 issued a proposed rule that will allow organizations approved as qualified entities to confidentially share or sell analyses of Medicare and private claims data to health care providers, employers, and others. The Qualified Entity Program, authorized by the…
Frequent use of postacute care after surgery associated with more readmissions
Editor's Note Hospitals that more often refer patients to inpatient facilities (eg, skilled nursing homes or rehabilitation centers) after surgery also tend to have shorter lengths of stay and higher readmission rates, this study finds. Researchers analyzed data for nearly 113,000 patients treated at 217 hospitals in 39 states. Higher…
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- Healthcare leaders project revenue gains from value-based care despite persistent hurdles
- CMS updates hospital price transparency guidelines
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- Study: Shorter radiation schedule matches safety of standard prostate cancer treatment
- Poll: Healthcare cybersecurity leaders overlook AI-enabled physical security gaps
- ASC improves hospital efficiency, maintains outcomes despite higher-acuity joint replacement patients
- Hospital support staff cuts raise risk of infection, delays in care