Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on February 28 updated its Overall Hospital Star Ratings on the Hospital Compare website and posted potential changes to the Hospital Star Ratings methodology for public comment. The proposed changes would make hospital comparisons more precise and consistent, and allow…

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Editor's Note New nurses are predominantly working 12-hour shifts and nearly half work overtime each week, trends that have remained relatively the same over the past 10 years, this study finds. Analyzing surveys from more than 4,500 newly licensed nurses in 13 states and Washington, DC, researchers from New York…

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Editor's Note US hospitals added 18,800 jobs in January to a seasonally adjusted 5,214,200, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on February 1. That’s up 112,100 more employees than a year ago. Overall, healthcare employment has increased 367,800 in the past year. The overall unemployment rose by 0.1% in January…

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Supply chain is ripe for innovation, as Amazon Business and technology manufacturers have discovered. In part 1 of this two-part series, we focused on the company’s role in the supply chain (OR Manager, February 2019, 1, 9-12). In part 2, we look at technology-related trends and innovations that can improve…

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Interest in data analytics, artificial intelligence, technology, and innovation has skyrocketed with rapid advances in systems and devices designed to improve patient care. When it comes to data analytics, asking the right questions is key to finding answers that will enhance efficiency and patient safety, according to David Wyatt, PhD,…

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There are few things more disheartening for patients than having to board in the emergency department (ED) for long periods while waiting for a bed. ED boarding can also delay treatment and adds to overcrowding and backups. Erlanger Health System, based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, decided to tackle this problem head…

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Editor's Note This study found no evidence that value-based incentive programs (VBIPs), which link financial incentives or penalties to hospital performance, had any measurable association with changes in catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) rates. Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine analyzed 592 hospitals across the country, and found that…

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Editor's Note Because a subset of patients are responsible for a disproportionate share of Medicare spending, targeting high-cost patients (ie, “hot spotting”) for cost containment efforts would be an effective strategy to reduce costs in surgical patients, this study finds. Using Medicare claims data from 2010 to 2013, University of…

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Editor's Note In this study, complication rates and Medicare payments were significantly lower for high-risk surgical patients treated at local high-quality hospitals. Analyzing elderly Medicare patients having any of four elective inpatient surgical procedures between 2012 and 2014, researchers found that one-fourth of high-risk patients had surgery at a low-quality…

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Editor's Note The widely used “LACE index,” which assesses a patient’s risk of hospital readmission, has a “blindspot” because it fails to consider whether patients are on Medicaid, West Virginia University researchers say. LACE stands for length of stay, acuity, comorbidity, and emergency department. To assess the predictive value of…

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