Editor's Note Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show 1,706 COVID-19 deaths for the week ending March 15, the lowest number since March 25, 2020, according to the March 20 US News & World Report. COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations also continue to drop, with weekly infections at their lowest…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 16 updated its list of COVID-19 medical device shortages to reflect changes in estimated shortage durations during the public health emergency. These include: Radiological devices General plastic surgery devices Cardiac diagnostic and monitoring products General ICU/hospital products Specimen collection, testing…

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Editor's Note Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra on March 15 amended the February 4, 2020, COVID-19 emergency use authorizations for: diagnostics for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 personal respiratory protective equipment other medical devices including alternative products used as medical devices drug and biological products. These emergency…

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The medical device industry aims to create valuable innovations that help improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and improve efficiencies for OR staff. Because these technologies and devices have a myriad of benefits, improving speed to value is a top priority. A key component of extracting the full value of these…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on March 8, issued an update on reports of squamous cell carcinoma in the scar tissue (capsule) that forms around breast implants—both saline and silicone as well as textured and smooth. Previously, on September 8, 2022, the FDA informed the public of…

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Editor's Note Chat GPT-4, the latest version of an artificially intelligent chatbot, shows promising applications in healthcare, as reported by The New York Times on March 14. With greater accuracy and descriptive abilities, the chatbot was recently tested by Anil Gehi, MD, associate professor of medicine and cardiologist at the…

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Editor's Note This study led by researchers from the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City, finds that total hip arthroplasty (THA) performed with a cementless prosthesis for a femoral neck fracture led to a higher rate of a second fracture and revision surgery. The multicenter analysis included 709 THAs…

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Editor's Note As supply chain challenges remain a top concern for health leaders in 2023, ECRI Institute shared three strategies to reduce wasted cost and maximize savings on February 28. Identify substitute products. Consider lower cost, functionally equivalent products and alternative suppliers. Work towards supply chain standardization. Access utilization. Review…

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Editor's Note Capstone projects by the 2021-22 cohort of American Hospital Association’s Next Generation Leaders Fellowship focused on improving gaps in education and patient care. The year-long capstone projects focus on key issues and challenges affecting healthcare affordability, cost, quality, and safety. Among the 2021-22 projects were delirium in the…

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The OR department is often what keeps most hospitals afloat. Surgical services account for roughly 50% of a hospital’s revenue, but they also contribute approximately 60% to overall costs. ORs must be efficient. Successes and failures in the surgical suite affects the entire system. Healthcare systems have found that highly…

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