ORs are a key revenue driver for hospitals, with surgical services accounting for nearly half of hospital margins. Efficient use of OR time is therefore critical to sustaining and growing hospital revenue and profitability. Perioperative leaders face an ongoing challenge in optimizing OR utilization, however, because of the common mindset…

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Editor's Note An international team of scientists designed an artificial intelligence (AI) platform to provide insights into how a particular drug will interact in an individual prior to administration, Science Direct October 31 reports. The findings were published in the journal Cell Reports.  Among the findings: One-third of drugs work…

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Editor's Note A new process has been put in place for uploading documents for all certification programs to The Joint Commission, the regulatory and accreditation agency reported on October 25. Required documents must now be uploaded to the organization’s Joint Commission Connect® extranet site, rather than to SharePoint. Any Joint…

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Editor's Note Steven Rosenberg, MD, PhD, chief of the Surgery Branch at the Center for Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and a pioneer in the development of immunotherapy to fight cancer, was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.…

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Editor's Note An AI tool helped to identify signs of distress in conversations from healthcare workers (HCWs) with their therapists during the pandemic, according to a study from NYU Grossman School of Medicine, EurekAlert! October 24 reports. The findings were published in Journal of Medical Internet Research AI.  Researchers analyzed…

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Editor's Note Medical devices such as pacemakers, breast implants, or knee replacements often cause hostile immune responses that can damage not only the implants but also surrounding tissue in the patient. That rejection often leads to further intervention needed that may include medications such as immunosuppressants or additional procedures. Researchers…

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Editor's Note A new study analyzed the accuracy of diagnosis and therapy recommendations of two AI-based smartphone apps compared to recommendations coming from doctors. The findings were published in The Lancet Digital Health in October 2023.   In the study, the AI-assisted app was compared with both medical experts and less…

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Editor's Note Scientists from UC Davis used dynamic total-body positron emission tomography (PET) to show the body's immune response to COVID-19 in recovering patients, Science Advances October 12 reports. The research article, titled "First-in-human immunoPET imaging of COVID-19 convalescent patients using dynamic total-body PET and a CD8-targeted minibody," was published…

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Editor's Note An artificial intelligence (AI) tool called CLOT (Children’s Likelihood of Thrombosis) developed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center accurately identified pediatric patients at high risk for blood clots in a clinical trial. The findings were reported in JAMA Network on October 13. The researchers analyzed the electronic health records…

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Editor's Note Virtual reality (VR) appears to ease the pain and distress felt by patients with cancer, according to a new study published in BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care. Researchers looked at 31 relevant studies published between 1993 and 2023 in which VR technology was used to help patients, including…

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