Efficacy of sterile rigid containers vs wrapped instrument trays
Editor's Note Sterilized wrapped instrument trays demonstrated significantly greater protection than sterilized rigid containers against the ingress of airborne bacteria in this study. Of 111 rigid containers tested, 97 failed to maintain barrier performance, allowing bacterial ingress, while 0 of 161 wrapped trays had detectable contamination. Contamination rates of rigid…
HHS: 17% decline in hospital-acquired conditions
Editor's Note The Department of Health and Human Services on December 1 reported that the rate of hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) dropped 17% from 2010 to 2014. The decline in HACs resulted in approximately 87,000 fewer in-hospital deaths and a savings in health care costs of approximately $19.8 billion. Among the…
Study: Lower patient satisfaction associated with nurses trained abroad
Editor's Note Employment of nurses trained abroad to substitute for nurses educated at home may negatively impact quality of care, finds this study conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia; University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; and Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery at King’s…
ECRI Institute projects $80 billion spend on new drugs, devices
Editor's Note Annual spending on a group of new drug and device therapies may exceed $80 billion if they all make it to market, according to a new report by ECRI Institute. ECRI Institute analyzed the costs of 47 of 700 healthcare interventions with the potential for high impact that…
Research finds higher productivity in positive work cultures
Editor's Note A large and growing body of research demonstrates that not only is a cut-throat work environment harmful to productivity, but a positive environment leads to dramatic benefits for employers, employees, and the bottom line, the December 1 Harvard Business Review reports. Creating a positive and healthy culture includes…
Joint Commission introduces campaign to reduce readmissions
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on December 2 launched two new resources to help healthcare providers reduce readmissions and improve the discharge process. The resources include a new “Speak Up” campaign to “Avoid a Return Trip to the Hospital,” and a “Quick Safety” newsletter. “Speak Up” includes an infographic, animated…
OSHA launches webpage on workplace violence in healthcare settings
Editor's Note The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on December 1 launched a new webpage to provide employers and workers with strategies and tools for preventing workplace violence in healthcare settings. The new strategies and tools focus on prevention programs that include: management commitment and worker participation worksite analysis and…
CMS issues notice on ‘two-midnight’ rule payment cut
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on December 1 published a notice with comment period on the basis for cutting inpatient hospital payments by 0.2% in accordance with its “two-midnight” rule. The notice comes in response to an October 6 court ruling that challenged the payment…
CMS approves ambulatory surgery patient experience survey
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved the administration of an Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (OAS CAHPS) Survey. The voluntary survey, which will start in 2016, includes 37 questions that will collect information monthly about a patient’s experience…
ANA report highlights optimal nurse staffing
Editor's Note Appropriate nurse staffing is associated with improved quality of care and patient outcomes. This is the conclusion of a new white paper by the American Nurses Association and Washington, DC-based consulting firm Avalere, in collaboration with nurses and policy experts. The white paper is the first in a…
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- Low-cost simulation helps surgical trainees practice crisis skills for major hemorrhage
- Nurse leaders weigh in on NCLEX pass rate decline, impact on workforce readiness
- FDA issues early alerts on multiple high-risk device recalls from J&J, Medtronic, Baxter, Boston Scientific
- New UCSF measure shows 1 in 60 cesarean deliveries involve serious surgical complications
- Hospitals can curb costly post-acute discharges with targeted periop programs, study finds
- Sameness in nursing care puts patients at risk
- CMS’s plan to phase out inpatient-only list could bolster rural ASCs
- AAAHC unveils v44 standards to sharpen focus on patient-centered ambulatory care
- UCSF pioneers robotic surgery assistant certification for medical students
- Nursing demand drops in Q2 as healthcare hiring shifts toward physicians, pharmacy