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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Takeaways OR leaders have experienced financial gains over the past 9 years, but not enough to keep up with inflation in recent years. Capital and operating budget responsibilities have increased over the past 6 years. Since 2015, OR leaders have consistently been most satisfied with their current job, but much…

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Editor's Note The healthcare spending burden of Medicare households was double that of non-Medicare households in 2022, according to an analysis published by KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) on March 14.  Using data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey, KFF found that average health-related expenses made up 13.6% of Medicare households’ total…

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Editor's Note The recent cyberattack on Change Healthcare created a financial impact for the lion’s share of US hospitals surveyed recently by the American Hospital Association, with more than half reporting “significant or serious” impact and three of every four also reporting direct impacts on patient care. These data reflect…

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Editor's Note Although burnout rates are high for all healthcare workers, females are particularly susceptible, according to a March 8 report in The Hill detailing a recent survey. Conducted by nursing marketplace firm ShiftKey, the survey found that 86 percent of all women in healthcare reported experiencing burnout, with 64…

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Editor's Note Addressing pressure on margins, inconsistent processes, and staffing issues are top priorities for healthcare supply chain leaders recently surveyed by symplr, a provider of enterprise healthcare operations software. Published February 27, the State of Healthcare Supply Chain Survey offers insight from nearly 100 VPs of Supply Chain, Chief…

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Editor's Note American hospitals fared well in Newsweek’s 2024 "World's Best Hospital" list, Becker’s Hospital Review reported February 28, noting that 43 candidates from the United States made the list of 250. Four US hospitals ranked in the top 10, a group singled out specifically for innovative use of artificial…

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Takeaways The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated staffing problems, and although some parameters have improved, challenges remain. Surgical volume took a sharp drop during the pandemic but is now rebounding. Over the years, the gap in difficulty between recruiting RNs and recruiting STs has narrowed. Last month, OR Manager looked back on…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum (NQF) on February 14 announced the recipients of the 2023 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards. The Awards recognize major achievements by individuals and organizations to improve patient safety and healthcare quality. This year’s recipients are: National Level Innovation…

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Editor's Note New survey data indicate most nurses have experienced workplace violence within the past year, and the problem appears to be getting worse. Conducted by National Nurses United (NNU), the nation’s largest union and professional association of registered nurses, the nationwide survey gathered data from nearly 1,000 nurses working…

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