CMS to make some pandemic telehealth provisions permanent
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator Seema Verma says use of telehealth has grown dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, and some provisions that were extended temporarily will be made permanent, the June 2 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. During the pandemic, CMS expanded access to telehealth…
AORN, AHA, AdvaMed issue release re-entry guidance
Editor's Note: The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), American Hospital Association (AHA), and Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) on May 19 released a “Re-entry Guidance for Health Care Facilities and Medical Device Representatives.” The guidance, which builds on the April 17 joint statement by AORN, AHA, American College of…
AI diagnostic predicts COVID-19 without testing
Editor's Note In this study, researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; King’s College, London; and health science company Zoe Global, Accra, Ghana; developed an artificial intelligence (AI) diagnostic that can predict whether someone is likely to have COVID-19 based on their symptoms. The researchers analyzed data from 2,618,862 people…
Cost savings achieved through sharing equipment
It’s been said we live in a sharing economy: We share our homes through companies like Airbnb, and we share our cars through companies like Uber and Lyft. So it’s not surprising that organizations are now sharing equipment, including OR equipment, with positive results. For example, Kaiser Permanente Southern California…
Device safety depends on routine cleaning, maintenance
Routine cleaning and maintenance of the equipment used to process medical devices is important to prevent contamination of medical devices. This article will discuss the required cleaning and maintenance in a sterile processing department (SPD) as well as the guidelines and regulations that inform these practices. Environmental issues Recommendations…
ASCs advised to embrace EHRs sooner rather than later
Federal regulators have yet to mandate electronic health record (EHR) adoption at ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Many facilities remain content to use paper systems. However, one expert advocates preparing now for what may come in the future. Electronic documentation systems can help ASCs better achieve their clinical, financial, operational, and…
Massachusetts researchers advance a novel gene-based COVID-19 vaccine
Editor's Note Researchers at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Mass General Brigham, announced May 5 their progress towards the testing and development of an experimental vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 called AAVCOVID. The vaccine is currently in preclinical development with a plan to begin clinical testing in humans…
AI identifies COVID-19 in chest x-rays
Editor's Note A new study from researchers in Hong Kong finds that the MAIL2.0 nowcast artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm, which was developed with concepts used in economics and meteorology, yields a high level of accuracy for identifying COVID-19 in chest x-rays, the May 5 AuntMinny.com reports. The algorithm yielded 84.7%…
Heating could be best way to reprocess N95 respirators
Editor's Note This study from Stanford University tests five methods for disinfecting N95 masks and finds that heating them preserves their filtration efficiency for 50 cycles of disinfection. In the study, instead of analyzing N95 masks, which were needed by healthcare workers, the researchers examined pieces of the fabric used…
FDA issues guidance to prevent device shortages during COVID-19 pandemic
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on May 6 issued a guidance to implement section 3121 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) as it relates to shortages and potential shortages of medical devices occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic. Manufacturers are required to notify…
