Editor's Note Surglogs, a leading regulatory and accreditation platform in the healthcare industry, is partnering with the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) in a "strategic collaboration," a March 13 press release reports. This collaboration marks a significant advancement in the accessibility of AAAHC accreditation standards, as they will…

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Editor's Note The Leapfrog Group, an independent nonprofit organization that is behind the biannual Hospital Safety Grades, hopes to assist with patient safety improvements in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) across the US with its latest initiative, NJ Biz March 25 reports. Starting April 1, the Leapfrog ASC Survey will be…

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Editor's Note The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), of the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is releasing an innovative, hospital-tested guide aimed at addressing and mitigating healthcare worker burnout, a CDC March 18 press release reports. This initiative is a cornerstone of the Impact…

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Editor's Note According to a March 11 research letter published by JAMA Internal Medicine, most physicians have a negative view of private equity’s growing involvement in healthcare. The findings mostly come from a January 2023 survey of 525 medical doctors conducted by the American College of Physicians (ACP). Some highlights…

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Editor's Note A team of Johns Hopkins researchers has designed a robot capable of performing the most complex, delicate procedures—including head and neck tumor resection—with accuracy greater than many human surgeons. As reported by the institution on March 18, ASTR: the Autonomous System for Tumor Resection is an autonomous, dual-arm,…

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Editor's Note Although many studies have focused on infection transmission within the operating room, authors of research published in the March issue of the Journal of Infection Control focused their study of UV-C light disinfection on non-sterile hubs of patient care—in this case, high-touch surfaces within an academic endoscopy unit.…

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Editor's Note Findings published March 4 in Jama Network show that preoperative urine culture is a low-value intervention for most surgical patients and should be de-implemented. Despite guidelines to the contrary from Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American College of Physicians, preoperative urine testing and antibiotic treatment persists…

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Editor's Note Authors of a recent study evaluating the effectiveness of a forced-air drying system for endoscopes argue that the results reinforce the need to re-evaluate standard drying practices. Findings were published February 24 in the American Journal of Infection Control. Wet environments resulting from inadequate drying practices can result…

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Editor's Note Although the use of propofol for colonoscopy has been rising due to beliefs that deep sedation leads to greater patient comfort, a recent systematic review and meta-analysis of nearly 1,500 patients from nine randomized controlled trials shows this view is not supported by available evidence. Published March 8…

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Editor's Note A simple, two-question survey could help identify patients most likely to develop chronic pain during recovery from surgery or injury and direct them toward proactive, holistic services that reduce reliance on opioids. NEJM Catalyst published the findings on March 20. Conducted by a research team from Duke University,…

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