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…
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…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 11 announced the recall by Boston Scientific (Marlborough, Massachusetts) of all models of its Fetch 2 Aspiration Catheter, a thrombectomy catheter used to remove small blood clots from coronary arteries. The recall was initiated because of complaints of shaft breakage…
Editor's Note Cassendra A. Munro, MSN, RN, CNOR, announced April 3 at the AORN Surgical Conference & Expo in Anaheim, California, the addition of the Munro Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Scale for Perioperative Patients (Adults) to AORN’s Prevention of Perioperative Pressure Ulcers Tool Kit. The Munro Scale is the only…
Editor's Note AORN announced April 5 at the Surgical Conference & Expo in Anaheim, California, the creation of the Go Clear Award program, which will recognize health care facilities committed to a surgical smoke-free environment. The program, sponsored by Medtronic, is a 3-year national health education effort to raise awareness…
Editor's Note The election results for the new national leaders of AORN announced April 6 at the AORN Surgical Conference & Expo in Anaheim, California, are: President-elect: Nathalie F. Walker, MBA, RN, CNOR Vice-president: Missi F. Merlino, MBA, RN, CNOR Board of directors: Elizabeth S. Pincus, MSN, MBA, RN, CNOR;…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on March 30 posted the top requirements for accreditation identified most frequently as “not compliant” during surveys and reviews from January 1 through December 31, 2015. Among the most challenging: Granting initial, renewed, or revised clinical privileges to individuals who are permitted by law and…
Editor's Note How well a hospital performs financially is not associated with improved clinical outcomes, this study finds. Researchers examined the association between financial performance for nearly 280 hospitals against their 30-day mortality and readmission rates for acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and pneumonia. The findings suggest that hospitals…
Editor's Note Patients undergoing minimally invasive mitral valve repair or replacement (mini-MVR) have similar outcomes as patients having traditional open procedures and also experience shorter hospital stays and fewer blood transfusions, finds this study. The study included 1,304 patients, including 425 mini-MVRs. Compared with traditional MVR, Mini-MVR patients had similar…
Editor's Note Personality and procedural justice were significantly associated with job satisfaction in new nurse managers with less than 2 years experience in this study. Results showed that new nurse managers with a negative affect and those who did not feel involved in organizational decision making had lower rates of…