Editor's Note In this study, researchers from the University of California, San Diego, developed an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to identify signature genes that forecast the severity of a viral infection immune response including that of COVID-19. The researchers analyzed more than 45,000 datasets from viral pandemics in humans, mice,…
Editor's Note This study by researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s ambulatory surgery center, New York City, finds that remote measurement of patient-reported symptoms after surgery can improve outcomes and reduce postoperative urgent care and emergency department (ED) visits. The researchers developed an electronic platform and alert system, called…
Editor’s Note. This article presents value-based analyses on the use of Mako robotic technology in total knee, partial knee, and total hip arthroplasty. The authors are with Stryker Orthopaedics in Mahwah, New Jersey. Joint arthroplasty is an effective procedure to treat advanced osteoarthritis of the hips and knees. It…
To rebound from the industry-wide disruption caused by COVID-19, many healthcare organizations are focused on optimizing OR processes to clear the backlog of elective surgical procedures and improve financial performance. However, traditional OR block management methods for surgical schedules provide limited foresight into what block time will ultimately go unused,…
Editor's Note An electronic medical record (EMR) data analysis by Epic Health Research Network for the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that from March through December 2020, hospital admissions were 8.5% below predictions because of COVID-19. The analysis, which is based on Epic’s EMR data on all inpatient admissions from December…
Editor's Note ECRI’s Partnership for Health IT Patient Safety, a collaborative of national health IT safety experts, has released a new guidance to improve patient safety by reducing the number of alert notifications from computerized ordering systems. Their just-released white paper, “Safe Practices to Reduce CPOE [computerized provider order entry]…
Global adoption of robotics technology has exploded in healthcare institutions, promising a less invasive and more precise means of conducting procedures. Although hospitals command the largest share of this market, analysts predict that ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) will adopt this technology at a rapid clip. Robotics technology has changed greatly…
Editor's Note Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can detect COVID-19 by listening to patients’ coughs, regardless if they are symptomatic or not. To build the tool, the researchers solicited audio recordings of patients coughing and accompanying information about their…
Editor's Note Researchers from the University of Minnesota and M Health Fairview are using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect COVID-19 in chest x-rays of hospitalized patients. The researchers used 18,000 x-rays from COVID-19 patients and 100,000 x-rays from patients without the disease to develop and train an AI program to…
Results from the 2020 annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey show that despite the turbulent times, most OR leaders view their work favorably; 77% are satisfied with their jobs, with nearly a third describing themselves as “completely satisfied.” This might seem surprising in light of COVID-19, but many nurse leaders are…